{"id":2328,"date":"2022-07-12T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afroscreen.org\/who-science-councils-first-report-calls-for-equitable-expansion-of-access-to-genomics-for-global-health\/"},"modified":"2023-03-08T11:46:27","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T11:46:27","slug":"who-science-councils-first-report-calls-for-equitable-expansion-of-access-to-genomics-for-global-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afroscreen.org\/en\/who-science-councils-first-report-calls-for-equitable-expansion-of-access-to-genomics-for-global-health\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO Science Council\u2019s first report calls for equitable expansion of access to genomics for global health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Established in 2021, the WHO Science Council advises the Director-General on WHO\u2019s scientific agenda. On its first report, issued in July 2022, the Council underlines the significant benefits of human, microbial, agriculture and aquaculture genomics for health at individual and population levels due to their multiple applications, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and research.<\/p>\n\n

The report follows the release in March 2022 of WHO\u2019s global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential, 2022\u20132032, which stated that the establishment of a surveillance and sequencing network is an essential public health tool for detecting and containing pathogens with epidemic potential.<\/p>\n\n

The report makes 15 recommendations around under four themes (advocacy, implementation, collaboration, and associated ethical, legal and social issues) \u201cto accelerate the establishment and sustained use of genomic technologies\u201d. Indeed, the Council states that it is not ethically justifiable for low-income countries to gain access to new technologies, including genomics, long after high-income countries do, since, as stated by the WHO Chief Scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan: “Genomic technologies are driving some of the most ground-breaking research happening today. Yet the benefits of these tools will not be fully realized unless they are deployed worldwide. Only through equity can science reach its full potential impact and improve health for everyone, everywhere\u201d.<\/p>\n\n

Towards its aim to create or reinforce the sequencing capacities and genome surveillance systems in the 13 partner countries, the AFROSCREEN project is contributing to the effort WHO is calling for \u201cto bring the benefits of genomics to everyone in an effective, ethical, and equitable manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

To find out more:<\/p>\n\n