PAHO will host a regional meeting in Brasilia, Brazil on May 15-16, 2024 to promote the implementation of genomics in clinical medicine and public health, as well as to strengthen genomics research in the Americas. This initiative, titled “Human Genomics for Health: Enhancing the Impact of Effective Research,” is the first of its kind in the region.
Genomics is a rapidly expanding field that offers insights in clinical care, ancestry, human genetic variation, food safety, infection control, and contributes to the “One Health” approach. It involves studying an organism’s complete set of genes, known as the genome. Unlike genetics, which studies individual genes, genomics looks at the characterization of all genes in an organism.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Science Council has established a program to promote equitable access to genomics research and technologies worldwide. The program aims to accelerate access to genomics for global health and is outlined in the publication “Accelerating Access to Genomics for Global Health, 2022.” Dr. Sebastian Garcia Saiso, Director of the Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH) at PAHO stated that this upcoming regional meeting will play a crucial role in advancing genomics in the Americas. Over two days, representatives from PAHO Member States and regional experts will collaborate to set an agenda for promoting genomics research and precision medicine in the region.
Dr. Ludovic Reveiz Advisor for Health Research at EIH/PAHO emphasized that genomic knowledge and technologies offer new and improved approaches to diagnosing, preventing and treating various diseases while providing opportunities to achieve global public health goals. With support from WHO’s Science and Knowledge for Impact Unit (SK/EIH), PAHO office in Brazil and Brazilian Ministry of Health are organizing this meeting to bring together representatives from PAHO Member States and regional experts in precision medicine field