ISGP Podcast: Genomics in Africa

  What will it take for genomic technologies to reach and help the people who need them most?  According to the World Health Organization, or the WHO, Africa is home to the highest recorded mortality rates for the top three infectious diseases in existence: malaria, tuberculosis (which is often referred to as TB), and HIV/AIDS. How can we best build bridges between non-African and African countries to ensure that genomic research benefits ALL people? Participants in Emerging and Persistent Infectious Diseases: Focus on the Societal and Economic Context debated Dr. Vanessa Hayes’s policy position paper titled, “Translating Technical Advances in Genomics to the Developing World: Addressing Cultural Needs as Part of Policy-Making.”  Hayes is a Professor of Genomic Medicine at the J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego,  California, as well as an Honorary Professor of Medical Sciences at the University of Limpopo in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.  the conference was held at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia,  July 8-11 in 2012. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum.