What we do
Our main activities
We drive and support biomedical research. We know that bridging the data and knowledge gap in Africa has an global impact, we encourage researchers to express their ideas and we help them reach their full potential!
Our programs help to prepare a new generation of skilled and creative researchers for the biomedical field to sustain a knowledgeable and internationally competitive workforce.
Funding projects
Evaluation and funding of research projects, contribution to the development of genomic medicine.
Biomedical research
Production of data and information that can be leveraged by clinicians to prevent, diagnose or monitor diseases.
Education and training
Human and Infrastructure Capacity building to establish an internationally competitive research.
Clinical research
Assessing, adapting and directing therapies to provide a care that is more effective and suitable for each patient.
Our concerns
Prevention
Disease prevention helps people live better for as long as possible. It avoids budget restrictions and strengthens equity for the vulnerable, low-income populations that are affected the most.
Early diagnosis
Early diagnosis means early detection, which means early treatment for better results. At the time of early detection, the disease is often in its early stages, and therefore more sensitive to treatment. Early detection and treatment can also prevent the disease from progressing, reducing the risk of complications and improving the patient’s long-term health.
Personalized therapy
Doctors can choose a therapy or treatment protocol based on a patient’s molecular uniqueness, thereby minimizing the side effects or adverse reactions of drugs and maximizing their impact. Personalized therapy helps to limit the cost of healthcare compared with a ‘trial and error’ approach. It also has the potential to change our mindset, and to identify and manage health problems.
Our sideline activities
The YTO Foundation is actively involved in awareness-raising initiatives aimed at improving the health of African populations through biomedical research and precision medicine. One of the Foundation’s main missions is to contribute to the inclusion of genomic diversity in medical practice, particularly in Africa, where the unique genetic characteristics of its populations are not accounted for in studies and clinical trials.
Through its awareness-raising activities, the Foundation aims to inform and educate healthcare professionals, researchers and communities about the importance of personalized medicine. This revolutionary approach makes it possible to provide the right treatment, at the right time, at the right dose, to the right patient, based on genetic, proteomic and environmental information specific to each individual. The YTO Foundation collaborates with health and research institutions, universities and professional societies to hold conferences and workshops on subjects such as pharmacogenomics and precision medicine.
The YTO Foundation is actively involved in screening campaigns as part of its mission to improve the health and well-being of Africans. These initiatives focus on access to preventive screening, enabling early detection and treatment options for complex diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and other diseases with known genetic basis. Through these campaigns, the Foundation aims to strengthen access to preventive and precision medicine, using genomics tools to offer care that is personalized and/or the most suitable to the specific biological profile of each African.
These screening campaigns are often jointly done with awareness-raising activities intended to inform and educate the public about the importance of prevention, while facilitating access to genetic testing to better understand individual or family susceptibilities to disease. By encouraging regular screening, the YTO Foundation is helping to reduce the burden of disease and improve care through early diagnosis and more personalized care.