Supporting the National Tuberculosis and AIDS Program
On December 4, 2025, the Foundation brought together the staff of the National Tuberculosis and AIDS Program (NTAP) from the different regions of Lebanon for a training day. The training took place at Saint Joseph University of Beirut and was provided in partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, NTAP, the International Organization for Migration, and the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory of Lebanon.
The first presentation, moderated by Sukayna Bassma, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at NTAP, enabled the 14 participants to deepen their knowledge of the main concepts, recommendations, and tools relating to TB. In particular, the session addressed the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in Lebanon, the importance of case detection and classification, new diagnostic recommendations, and the populations to be targeted for screening.
Dr. Marianne Antar, Head of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Lebanon, then devoted a presentation to reviewing the laboratory tests and procedures for tuberculosis and HIV, from a reminder about pre-analytical processes to the application of microscopy procedures and the principles of molecular techniques to detect tuberculosis quickly and identify resistant forms.
Four workshops also took place over the course of the day, offering participants interactive sessions led by experts from the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory, NTAP, and the Mérieux Foundation on:
- receiving samples
- microscopy and GeneXpert
- handling, HIV-1 testing, and data recording
- NTAP forms, transport records, and sample tracking
Dr. Josette Najjar, Middle East Director at the Mérieux Foundation, and Dr. Hiam Yaacoub, National Manager of NTAP, underlined the importance of these courses in developing expertise and acquiring knowledge to guarantee good practice in pre-analytical and analytical processes for HIV and tuberculosis.
Discussing the region’s progress and the challenges in eliminating tuberculosis
The Mérieux Foundation was one of the institutions present at the Middle East TB Expert Meeting, organized by Qiagen and the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which brought together around thirty regional and international experts and decision-makers to discuss progress, advances, and new strategies in the fight against tuberculosis.
Dr. Josette Najjar-Pellet, Middle East Director at the Mérieux Foundation, was invited to give her presentation “Tuberculosis in the Middle East and North Africa: context, specific features, prevention and control of tuberculosis infection for vulnerable populations”, an acknowledgement of the Mérieux Foundation’s commitment to the fight against tuberculosis in the region.
