Jane Parry wrote on this network in January about how genomics could help developing countries deal with disease. Her article provides a timely reminder of the health problems faced by all countries, but particularly developing countries.
The cost implications of an estimated 371 million people with type 2 diabetes is staggering when the consequences for health budgets are considered. When combined with effects from the other non-communicable diseases, all governments face public health demands of epic proportions.
Developing smart preventive health strategies to identify high-risk groups, for example through genome testing, can help target resources to those most at risk. This was certainly one of the expectations of health professionals when the human genome project was completed in 2003 and presented as a gift to the world.
Unfortunately, these high expectations have not been realised. The intrinsic value of this global project is being circumscribed by the expansion of intellectual property rights over genomic DNA. An estimated 20% of the human genome is subject to patents that can impose complex legal and cost constraints on medicines and diagnostics.
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