Ensure healthy lives
and promote well-being for all at all ages
Transforming our relationship with nature is key to a sustainable future
Pr.Chokri Hammouda, UTM,SDG 3 Ambassador
The University of Tunis El Manar (UTM) is dedicated to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 3 through targeted education, research, and community initiatives. These efforts focus on improving public health outcomes, expanding access to healthcare, and promoting holistic well-being across Tunisia.
UTM comprises four leading academic institutions delivering comprehensive training in diverse health disciplines, including the distinguished Faculty of Medicine of Tunis. It also hosts the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, a nationally recognized center for pioneering medical research and public health innovation. Through strategic collaborations with healthcare institutions, UTM reinforces its commitment to advancing societal health as a core component of its academic and social mission.
Tawhida Ben Cheikh Medical Center
The Tawhida Ben Cheikh Medical Center, located at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Tunis, provides essential healthcare services to students, faculty, and administrative staff of the Farhat Hached University Campus at El Manar. Operating under the joint supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Health, the center is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals, including general practitioners, dentists, ophthalmologists, psychiatrists, and nurses.
Tawhida Ben Cheikh Medical Center Services
The Tawhida Ben Cheikh Medical Center offers comprehensive health services during morning and afternoon hours on all working days. These include medical consultations, preventive care, and health awareness activities. The center actively promotes a culture of well-being within the university through informational stands and screening campaigns for chronic conditions such as hyperglycemia and hypertension, as well as mental health assessments.
UTM Barrier-Free University Initiative
The University of Tunis El Manar leads nationally in inclusive health education, offering specialized programs such as:
- Physiotherapy training for the visually impaired and blind at the Higher School of Health Sciences and Techniques of Tunis
- Sign language courses at the Higher Institute of Human Sciences of Tunis
To advance inclusion and mobilize engagement across the university community, a “UTM Barrier-Free University” awareness day was held on May 26, 2022, at the Tunis Faculty of Medicine.
Epidemiological Surveillance
Ongoing monitoring and research include a survey on the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections at La Rabta and Charles Nicolle university hospitals, supporting evidence-based improvements in patient safety and clinical practice.
National Survey on Healthcare-Associated Infections
- May 23-25, 2022: Training for La Rabta & Charles Nicolle hospitals.
- WHO experts Dr. Sara Tolba & Dr. Engy Hamed delivered the program.
- Topics: surveillance methodologies, prevalence surveys, data collection roles, implementation tools.
Tobacco-Free Healthcare Initiative
- Launched July 2, 2022 at Béchir-Hamza Children’s Hospital.
- Partnership with WHO Tunisia, Tunisian Alliance against Tobacco, Child Rights Association, Red Crescent.
- Established comprehensive tobacco control measures in healthcare settings.
Neonatal Care Enhancement Program
- CAD $500,000 support from the Government of Canada.
- Target hospitals: Charles Nicolle (UTM) & Hédi Chaker Hospital.
- Equipment provided: ambulances, 12 resuscitation incubators, 4 ventilators, 6 syringe pumps, 4 monitoring systems.
- Focus: neonatal service enhancement and healthcare worker capacity.
mRNA Technology Transfer Initiative
- August 23-25, 2022: WHO delegation in Tunisia.
- Engaged Pasteur Institute of Tunis, regulatory authorities, Ministry of Health.
- Goal: Establish local vaccine production & advance health security through innovation.
Health Awareness Campaigns
- World No-Tobacco Day 2022 (May 31-June 3): Activities with Faculty of Medicine of Tunis & WHO.
- Hearing Health Day (March 31, 2022): Awareness event at Pasteur Institute of Tunis for staff & researchers.
Awards and Recognition
National Survey on Healthcare-Associated Infections
- May 23-25, 2022: Training for La Rabta & Charles Nicolle hospitals.
- WHO experts Dr. Sara Tolba & Dr. Engy Hamed delivered the program.
- Topics: surveillance methodologies, prevalence surveys, data collection roles, implementation tools.
Tobacco-Free Healthcare Initiative
- Launched July 2, 2022 at Béchir-Hamza Children’s Hospital.
- Partnership with WHO Tunisia, Tunisian Alliance against Tobacco, Child Rights Association, Red Crescent.
- Established comprehensive tobacco control measures in healthcare settings.
Neonatal Care Enhancement Program
- CAD $500,000 support from the Government of Canada.
- Target hospitals: Charles Nicolle (UTM) & Hédi Chaker Hospital.
- Equipment provided: ambulances, 12 resuscitation incubators, 4 ventilators, 6 syringe pumps, 4 monitoring systems.
- Focus: neonatal service enhancement and healthcare worker capacity.
mRNA Technology Transfer Initiative
- August 23-25, 2022: WHO delegation in Tunisia.
- Engaged Pasteur Institute of Tunis, regulatory authorities, Ministry of Health.
- Goal: Establish local vaccine production & advance health security through innovation.
Health Awareness Campaigns
- World No-Tobacco Day 2022 (May 31-June 3): Activities with Faculty of Medicine of Tunis & WHO.
- Hearing Health Day (March 31, 2022): Awareness event at Pasteur Institute of Tunis for staff & researchers.
International Recognition for Public Health Leadership
- Professor Abdellatif Chabbou (Faculty of Medicine of Tunis) received a WHO award in 2022.
- Recognized for contributions to tobacco control and World No Tobacco Day initiatives.
- Highlights efforts in public health advocacy and respiratory disease prevention.
Excellence in Medical Research
- Dr. Rym Kefi, Senior Lecturer, Pasteur Institute of Tunis – Sadok Besrour Prize (Nov 2022).
- Dr. Erij Messadi, Pasteur Institute of Tunis – First prize in Institutional Research at 2022 World Cup of Invention & Scientific Research for “lebeceƟn.”
Global Health Leadership Appointments
- Professor Ridha Barbouche, Pasteur Institute of Tunis – EMRO representative & steering committee member of WHO Global NITAGs Network (GNN).
- Also serves as GNN representative on WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE).
Prestigious Scientific Memberships
- Dr. Emna Fehri, Postdoctoral Researcher, Pasteur Institute of Tunis – Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society.
- Recognized for work on molecular and immunohistochemical markers for cancer diagnosis and progression.
Continued Excellence in Health Sciences
- Dr. Lilia Romdhane, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte & Pasteur Institute of Tunis – Sadok Besrour Prize 2023.
- Honored for innovative contributions to biomedical research and knowledge transfer.
- Specialized Health Screenings
- La Rabta University Hospital organized a deafness screening day on June 10, 2023, providing accessible hearing health services to the community.
- Charles Nicolle Hospital conducted diabetes screening campaigns for night and on-call staff from December 4–27, 2023, supporting early detection and preventive care.
- Pioneering Surgical Achievements
- A medical team at La Rabta University Hospital successfully performed a left ventricular assistance device transplant on a patient with acute heart failure, demonstrating advanced capabilities in cardiovascular surgery.
- In a world-first procedure, cardiologists at La Rabta Hospital implanted a physiological left-branch pacing system in a 12-week pregnant patient with complex congenital heart disease, showcasing innovative solutions for high-risk maternal and cardiac care.
These accomplishments reflect UTM’s ongoing commitment to advancing clinical excellence, research innovation, and public health leadership in alignment with SDG 3 objectives.
- November 2022: “Introduction of Bioinformatics to Arab Education Systems” course organized by Pasteur Institute of Tunis with Arab German Young Academy
- Specialized training in bioethics fundamentals and biomedical ethics committee submission procedures
- International Conferences and Seminars
- Infectious Diseases: Conference on canine rabies elimination strategies (Sept 2022) and seminar on AIDS-COVID-19 syndemic in Africa (August 2022)
- Capacity Building and Certification Programs
- WHO/TDR Massive Open Online Course on Implementation Research in Arabic
- International Measles/Rubella Serology Training for Somali healthcare professionals (Nov-Dec 2023)
- Biohazard crisis communication training with military health authorities (March 2022)
- Specialized Health Awareness Campaigns
- World Diabetes Day scientific program (Nov 2023)
- Pink October breast cancer awareness event emphasizing genetic testing (Oct 2023)
- Scientific day on genetics in hearing health (Sept 2023)
- Innovative Research Initiatives
- AMAX Project: African Modeling and Analytics Academy for Women, focusing on HPV, HBV, COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance
- PerMediNA Project: Advancing precision medicine in North Africa
Courses, Workshops and events dedicated to researchers and health staff in the different sectors of scientific research in health:
Introduction to Bioinformatics in Arab Education Systems
Course Dates: November 21–22, 2022
Organized by: Pasteur Institute of Tunisia, Arab-German Young Academy, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte
WHO/TDR Massive Open Online Course on Implementation Research (Arabic Session)
Organized by: Pasteur Institute of Tunisia (UTM) and the TDR-supported Regional Training Centre for WHO-EMR
A session in Arabic of the WHO/TDR MOOC on Implementation Research (IR) was organized for countries from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). This free, step-by-step online training targets public health researchers, decision-makers, disease control programme managers, and academics. It focuses on how to design and demonstrate robust IR projects to improve the control of infectious diseases of poverty and achieve better health outcomes.
Practical Training Workshop in Allergology: Interactive Clinical Cases
Date: May 2022
Organized by: Pasteur Institute of Tunisia (UTM) in collaboration with Stallergenes-Greer Laboratories.
Objective: Strengthen links in the care chain for allergy sufferers through hands-on clinical case discussions.
Format: Practical workshop with real case simulations and interactive discussions.
Workshop Seminar of the Tunisian Society of Clinical Biology
Focus: Updates and applied practices in clinical biology.
Objective: Enhance diagnostic and analytical skills of clinical biology professionals.
Training on the Fundamentals of Bioethics and Submission Preparation to Biomedical Ethics Committee
Organized by: The Ethics Committee of the Pasteur Institute of Tunisia.
Objective:
- Introduce fundamental principles of bioethics.
- Guide participants in preparing submissions to the Biomedical Ethics Committee.
Audience: Researchers and clinical investigators.
WHO/TDR Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Implementation Research – Arabic Session
Organized by: Pasteur Institute of Tunisia (UTM) & the TDR-supported Regional Training Centre for WHO-EMR.
Objective: Provide free, step-by-step training for public health researchers, program managers, academics, and decision-makers on how to design and conduct Implementation Research (IR) to improve control of infectious diseases of poverty.
Outcome: Participants learned to design and demonstrate robust IR projects to improve health outcomes in WHO EMR countries.
Conference: Strategies for Eliminating Canine Rabies
Date: September 28, 2022
Organized by: Institut Pasteur de Tunis (UTM) – to mark World Rabies Day.
Speaker: Dr. Florence CLIQUET, international expert and member of the ANSES Rabies and Wildlife Laboratory.
Objective:
- Discuss global and regional strategies for eradicating canine rabies through vaccination, surveillance, and public awareness initiatives.
Conference: Genomic Surveillance and Characterization of Microbial Threats Facilitates Early Detection and Containment of Disease Outbreaks in West Africa
Date: November 20, 2023
Organized by: Institut Pasteur de Tunis.
Speaker: Prof. Christian T. Happi, Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Infectious Disease Genomics.
Focus:
- Exploration of genomic surveillance technologies and their impact on early detection and control of infectious disease outbreaks in the West African region.
Conference: How Do CD8+ T-Cells Contribute to Protection in Human Tuberculosis?
Date: November 16, 2023
Location: Institut Pasteur de Tunis.
Speaker: Prof. Steffen Stenger, Director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Ulm University Hospital, Germany.
Objective:
- Understand the immunological role of CD8+ T-cells in host defense mechanisms against tuberculosis.
Lecture: Leishmaniasis – Field-to-Lab & Lab-to-Field
Date: December 15, 2023
Speaker: Dr. Hirotomo Kato, Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University, Japan.
Content:
- Presentation on translational research linking field observations to laboratory analysis for improved understanding and control of Leishmaniasis in endemic regions.
Seminar: AIDS and COVID-19 – A Syndemic in Africa
Date: August 2022
Organized by: Pasteur Institute of Tunisia (UTM)
Speakers:
- Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim
- Prof. Salim S. Abdool Karim (CAPRISA, Durban & Columbia University, New York)
Overview: This seminar explored the interaction between AIDS and COVID-19 as overlapping epidemics in Africa, addressing challenges and joint strategies for prevention and treatment.
Seminar Series 2022–2023 – Pasteur Institute of Tunisia
A multidisciplinary series of seminars presenting advanced research topics, including:
- Pharmacological properties of dromaserpine, an antihemistatic serpin derived from tick salivary glands.
- Molecular pathology and oncogenetics for cancer management in Tunisia.
- Genetic diversity of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum isolates and their antibioresistance.
- Immune response in neuro-immunological diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, Neuro-Behçet).
- Artificial intelligence for therapeutic molecule discovery (COVID-19 case study).
- Modified cells in sickle cell disease: therapeutic perspectives.
- Toxoplasmosis: innovative immunodiagnostic and therapeutic tools.
- Scorpion venom peptides (AATS-1) and glioblastoma research.
- Mathematical modeling in biology: sexual allocation, cancer, and COVID-19.
- Genetic variability and molecular monitoring of SARS-CoV-2.
- Precision medicine in Tunisia: opportunities and obstacles.
- Immune response and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
- Targeting α-synuclein aggregation for Parkinson’s disease treatment.
- Constitutional medullary aplasia: genetic insights.
- Diagnosis and molecular monitoring of leukemias.
- Leishmania eukaryotic initiation factor (LeIF) as an immunomodulator.
- Brucellosis as a re-emerging health risk.
- Genomic and metagenomic analysis of microorganism diversity.
- Active biomolecules from snake venom as therapeutic alternatives.
- Risk analysis of emerging zoonotic diseases linked to climate change.
Webinar: Therapeutic Updates for Infantile Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Date: February 2022
Occasion: 15th International Day of Rare Diseases
Organized by: SMA Tunisia Association in collaboration with:
- Tunisian Association of Child and Adolescent Neurology (ATNEA)
- Association La Recherche en Action (REACT)
- Institut National Mongi Ben Hmida de Neurologie
- ISBST and Tunivision Club
Speaker: Dr. Boespflug Tanguy (Professor of Neuropediatrics & Director of I-Motion)
Highlights: Presentation on recent advances in the treatment of infantile spinal muscular atrophy, followed by an interactive discussion with SMA Tunisia representatives.
Seminar: Workshop of the Tunisian Society of Clinical Biology
Objective: Update and reinforce professional skills in applied clinical biology, with an emphasis on diagnostic accuracy and emerging laboratory techniques.
Webinar: Bacterial Infections
Date: October 2023
Organized by: Faculty of Medicine of Tunis
Focus: Latest updates in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of bacterial infections in clinical settings.
World No-Tobacco Day & Hearing Health Awareness
Organized by: University of Tunis El Manar
Focus: Promoting tobacco-free initiatives in hospitals and raising awareness about hearing health.
World Diabetes Day
Date: 14 November 2023
Organized by: Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics (LR16IPT05), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, in partnership with:
- Association des Jeunes Chercheurs (AJC)
- Unité Spécialisée Communication Science et Société (UNISS)
Focus: Scientific morning addressing diabetes research, prevention, and public awareness.
Pink October – Breast Cancer Awareness
Date: 14 October 2023
Organized by: PerMediNA Project, AMC (Association des malades du cancer), and the Association des Jeunes Chercheurs de l’Institut Pasteur de Tunis
Focus: Highlighting the importance of genetic testing and raising awareness about breast cancer prevention and early detection.
Scientific Day on Genetics in Hearing Health
Date: 28 September 2023
Organized by: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, in partnership with the Institut Français de Tunisie
Project: ISSMA – “Interest and Contribution of Exome Sequencing in the Diagnosis of Deafness in Tunisia”
Focus: Multidisciplinary exchange on genetic deafness research and its impact on childhood hearing health management.
Violence in the Hospital Environment Day
Organized by: Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, UTM
Focus: Addressing and raising awareness about violence and ethical challenges in hospital environments.
Biohazard Crisis Communication Training
Date: 29–31 March 2022
Organized by: Communication Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Military Health and GIZ
Focus: Training on communication strategies during biohazard and biosafety incidents.
Transversal Training: Announcement of Bad News
Focus: Skills and strategies for healthcare professionals to effectively communicate difficult or sensitive information to patients and families.
DIU Pharmacogenetics and Personalized Medicine
Focus: Raising awareness of advances in personalized medicine and pharmacogenetics applications in clinical practice.
CNEM Scientific Day: Racial Discrimination in Health
Date: 16 June 2023
Organized by: CNEM
Focus: Tackling racism, xenophobia, and discrimination in healthcare from scientific, ethical, historical, and legal perspectives.
AMAX Project (African Modeling and Analytics Academy for Women)
Organized by: Institut Pasteur de Tunis
Focus: Improving women’s health in Africa through mathematical modeling and data analysis.
Details:
- Addresses financial, cultural, and social barriers to healthcare for women.
- Focuses on four infectious disease research areas: HPV, HBV, COVID-19, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- Builds an African network of experts in modeling and data analysis for women’s health.
WHO-TAG-G Launch Meeting
Date: 5–6 October 2023, Geneva
Representative: Dr. Yosr Hamdi, Biologist & Researcher, Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics Lab, Pasteur Institute of Tunis
Focus: Integration into the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Genomics.
Details:
- Advises WHO on human genomics and accelerates access to genomic knowledge and technologies, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
- Focus for next 2 years: Human genomics and related applications.
PerMediNA Project (Precision Medicine in North Africa)
Organized by: Institut Pasteur de Tunis
Focus: Awareness and implementation of precision medicine.
Initiatives:
- Special day for Pink October (breast cancer awareness) highlighting genetic testing.
- Research and outreach to improve public and clinical knowledge of precision medicine applications.
ISSMA Project – Genetics in Hearing Health
Organized by: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, in partnership with Institut Français de Tunisie
Focus: Exome sequencing for diagnosing genetic deafness in Tunisia.
Details:
- Multidisciplinary exchange between national and international experts.
- Evaluates current research and its impact on childhood hearing health.
Other Initiatives
- Transforming relationship with nature – campaigns and projects focusing on sustainability and health.
- Biohazard & biosafety initiatives – training and awareness campaigns for health professionals.
- Research into emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases – addressing climate change impacts and preventive measures.