US, Donor Partners Invest N38m On Genomics Research

The U.S and other donor partners have invested 38 million dollars for genomics research in Africa, says Dr Adebayo Adejumo, a member of National Health Research Ethic Committee.

Adejumo told newsmen  in Abuja on Monday at the International Conference on

Promoting Ethical Conduct of Genomics Research in Africa.

He said that genomics research was the manner by which inherited traits could impact on the development of one form of disorder or the other.

Adejumo said the aim of the conference on ethics and genomics research in Africa was important because theglobal environment had begun to move toward genetic approaches to diagnosis and management of disorder.

He said there was need to think ahead of the ethical challenges that would be involved in the research

since Africa lacked the resources but had the knowledge.

“It is necessary to start thinking ahead in terms of what are the ethical challenges that we will be facing in the sense that we don’t have the money but we have the knowledge and we don’t want to get exploited.

“And we would not want to be left behind in the global move of things so we have to start thinking ahead, many people will be coming from all over the world to collaborate with us. ’’

Adejumo said there was also need to put enough structures and framework in place to make sure that people were not exploited and their cultural values were being preserved as they participate in the research.

Also speaking, Director Centre for Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genomics

Research Institute, Bethesida, Dr Charles Rotimi, called on African leaders to accept genomics research.

Rotimi said that genomics research would aid the understanding of why some families had hereditary disorder, adding that it would also help increase knowledge of certain diseases and how the incidences could be reduced.

“The problem of diseases in Africa is extremely high, we have problems like malaria, stroke, diabetes and others, and we are hoping that we can use this new technology to understand these very serious problems.

“Not just for health, we can also use the genetics and bio-technology to improve food production and create employment for African youths. ’’

Rotimi said there was need to include genomics research in university curriculum and to create job opportunities for those who have training in that field.

Prof. Godfrey Tangwa, University of Yaounde, Cameroon, noted that confidentiality was very important in individual participation in any research.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference on the Ethics and Genomics Research in Africa, which started on Nov. 26, would end on Nov. 29.