Fibrosi cistica in Africa

Last 30th of September, we arrived in Morocco with the Nanoduct device to handle it to the genetic department in Fez University Hospital. The trip was a success, and our colleagues in Morocco could now diagnose potential cystic fibrosis patients.

A big thank you to all of you who have made it possible.

Best wishes,

Hugues and Patricia

We have created a video tutorial with the help of Martin Gfeller (nursing expert of Bern University Hospital) for the correct use of the sweat test. Thus, our collaborators in Fes (Morocco) and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) will be able to use it for diagnosing cystic fibrosis!

Chers backers,

Nous avons de très bonnes nouvelles ! Les deux appareils destinés à mesurer la concentration de chlorure dans la sueur des enfants sont enfin arrivés. Nous emmènerons l’un d’entre eux à l’hôpital universitaire de Fès, au Maroc, et le second sera collecté à Berne par le Prof. Gerrye Mubungu, des cliniques universitaires de Kinshasa (RDC).

La semaine prochaine, nous recevrons un tutoriel à l’Insespital de Berne par le Prof. Philipp Latzin et son équipe, qui sont familiers avec l’utilisation de cette machine.

Nous sommes en train de rédiger une requête pour obtenir un financement pour un projet de recherche coordonné sur la mucoviscidose sur le continent africain avec des collègues de 4 universités : Fez (Maroc), Kinshasa (RDC), Berne (CH) et Stellenbosch/Cape Town (Afrique du Sud).

Cordialemente, Hugues & Patricia

Liebe Backers,

Wir haben sehr gute Nachrichten! Endlich sind die beiden «Schweisstestgeräte» zur Messung der Chloridkonzentration im Schweiss von Kindern eingetroffen. Wir werden eines davon in das Universitätsspital von Fez in Marokko bringen und das zweite wird von Prof. Gerrye Mubungu von der Universitätsklinik Kinshasa (DRC) in Bern abgeholt.

Nächste Woche erhalten wir im Insespital Bern eine Schulung von Prof. Philipp Latzin und seinem Team, die mit der Verwendung dieses Geräts sehr vertraut sind.

Wir arbeiten derzeit an einem Projektantrag, um eine Finanzierung für ein koordiniertes Forschungsprojekt über Zystische Fibrose auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent mit KollegInnen von 4 Universitäten zu erhalten: Fez (Marokko), Kinshasa (DRC), Bern (CH) und Stellenbosch/Kapstadt (Südafrika).

Mit freundlichen Grüssen, Hugues & Patricia

Dear backers, We have very good news! At last, the two «sweat test devices» to measure chloride concentration in children’s sweat have arrived. We will take one of them to the University Hospital of Fez, in Morocco, and the second one, Prof. Gerrye Mubungu, from the University Clinics at Kinshasa (DRC), will come to Bern to collect it. Next week we will receive a tutorial at the Insespital in Bern by Prof. Philipp Latzin and his team, who are very familiar with the use of this machine. We are currently drafting a proposal to get funding for a coordinated research project about Cystic Fibrosis on the African continent with colleagues from 4 universities: Fez (Morocco), Kinshasa (DRC), Bern (CH) and Stellenbosch/Cape Town (South Africa). Best regards, Hugues Abriel & Patricia Teixidor

Dear backers and friends, The campaign closed on March 16th with CHF 16’100 raised! All a success thanks to you and the other 105 donators! The even better news is that because we succeeded in reaching the initial goal, the Swiss National Science Foundation (Science Booster) contributed with CHF 5’000! Thank you very much for supporting Nada El Mahzen and Michèle Fuhrer in this project, «Diagnosing CF in Africa». We are all extremely grateful. If you selected a reward, we will keep you posted about the dates/times, or you will soon receive it by post. Thank you very much for supporting this long-term collaboration between the Universities of Bern (CH), Fez (Morocco) and Kinshasa (RDC). Best regards, Hugues Abriel & Patricia Teixidor

Dear backers, Yesterday, on the day of Rare Diseases, we reached our goal of CHF 8’000. Therefore, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) «Science Booster» backed our project with a pledge of CHF 5’000! We are extremely grateful for your support and trust. There are still 15 days of the campaign to go, and we have set ourselves a new target. We will try to double the initial amount to buy a second Nanoduct device for the University Clinics of Kinshasa (RDC). Prof. Gerrye Mubungu (in the picture below) is a paediatrician at the University Clinics of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She will make very good use of the device.

Please help us spread the word about the campaign and reach new backers.

Best regards, Patricia & Hugues

Hello! Michèle Fuhrer has been interviewed in the newspaper «Bernerzeitung». You may read the article here: https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/medizinstudentin-mit-herz-fuer-afrika-474605240830

Best wishes, Hugues and Patricia

Nada and Prof. Abriel are right at this moment presenting preliminary results on the sequencing of the CFTR gene on potential cystic fibrosis African patients at the ICHG 2023 (International Conference of Human Genetics)!

Dear all, We want to thank all the 29 backers who have supported our project in the first five days of the campaign. We are passionate about improving the diagnosis and treatment of cystic fibrosis in African children, but we can’t do it alone. We’re 1/3 of the way to our goal, and with your support, we can get there. Please spread the word among friends, neighbours and colleagues.

Here is a video of Prof. Abriel arriving on his bicycle at the Hospital of Fez (Morocco). Next time he will be accompanied by Michèle and Nada to test the Nanonduct device for the first time!

Best regards,

Hugues and Patricia