In the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Ministry of Health has acquired and inaugurated the latest NovaSeqTM X Plus machine for the purpose of sequencing human genomes for the first time in the Middle East. The move is part of the Kingdom's commitment to continue developing therapeutic and diagnostic services in accordance with the latest global medical advances, benefiting the health of all the people in the Kingdom.
Lt. General Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, highlighted the ongoing efforts within the National Genome Project, which intends to use gene sequencing as part of the development of effective national health policies and therapeutic and preventative management plans by utilizing gene sequencing.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Jaleela bint Al-Sayed Jawad Hassan, commented that acquiring this device is part of the government's ongoing efforts to keep up with the latest technological advancements in the field of health. Furthermore, while building the National Genome Centre, the National Genome Centre will be able to be further developed so that it will reflect positively on the various diagnostic and therapeutic services that are available to the community at large.
In addition, Dr. Gregory Essert, General Manager of Emerging Markets at Illumina, stated, "Through our latest specialized device in genome sequencing, NovaSeqTM X Plus, we are now able to sequence up to 20,000 whole genomes per year - 2.5 times the number we were previously capable of doing." In order to contribute to the National Genome Centre's goal in the Kingdom of Bahrain by utilizing technology to improve our understanding of diseases and potential genetic risks, we look forward to developing a healthcare plan based on this information."
According to Mr Abdelrahman Ramadan, the Chief Executive Officer of Zahrawi Group, the local representative of Illumina in Bahrain, who had emphasized that "We believe that Illumina can make a big difference in the lives of individuals in the region."
As part of the Bahrain National Genome Project and in conjunction with the Zahrawi Group's vision and mission, the project represents a significant first step towards achieving excellence in genomics research, fostering trust, and providing meaningful contributions to the well-being of people in the GCC region and beyond.
A national genome project was launched in Bahrain in 2019 and awareness campaigns have been conducted by public health institutions to encourage the community to participate in the project, with a goal of collecting 50,000 samples by 2024. It is worth mentioning that the National Genome Project was launched in Bahrain in 2019.
There was a delegation of national specialists from the National Genome Centre sent to Harvard University to receive specialized training in the latest methods for genome sequencing, biological data classification, clinical analysis, scientific data analysis, and genetic data management at Harvard University in the United States.
The Ministry of Health of Bahrain is the source of this information
By the initiative of the Ministry of Health, the Kingdom of Bahrain has become the first country in the Middle East to acquire and inaugurate healthcare facilities...
He became one of the first ministers from the Middle East to acquire and use the NovaSeqTM X Plus, a cutting-edge genomics machine that was launched by the Saudi Ministry of Health.
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Source prnewswire