WEF urges diversity in genomics research
The World Economic Forum has published a policy framework to increase the genomic data available on “non-white and minority populations”. The WEF says that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities in health systems, with notable genomic and genetic data gaps for populations in low- and middle-income countries. Elissa Prichep, one of the lead authors of the framework, said the lack of diversity leads to blind spots. “This means non-white minority populations may receive less accurate preventative screenings, less reliable diagnostics, less targeted treatments,” she said in a statement. The framework examines a number of “ethical tensions” in genomics research, including the balance between privacy and societal good, open data, oversight, and inclusiveness.
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