In May 2024, PAHO will host a regional meeting in Brasilia, Brazil to promote the use of genomics in clinical medicine and public health. This event, titled “Human Genomics for Health: Enhancing the Impact of Effective Research,” is the first of its kind in the Americas.
Genomics is the study of an organism’s complete set of genes, known as the genome. It focuses on how genes function, interact with each other, and with the environment. 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, as outlined in their publication “Accelerating Access to Genomics for Global Health, 2022.” Genomics is an expanding field that offers insights into clinical care, ancestry, human genetic variation, food safety, infection control and contributes to the “One Health” approach.
Dr. Sebastian Garcia Saiso, Director of EIH (Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health) at PAHO stated that this upcoming regional meeting in Brasilia 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
