The Regional Meeting on Human Genomics for Health: Enhancing the Impact of Effective Research will take place in Brasilia, Brazil from May 15-16, 2024. This initiative, led by PAHO, aims to promote the implementation of genomics in clinical medicine and public health, as well as to strengthen genomics research in the Americas.
Genomics is a rapidly expanding field that focuses on studying an organism’s complete set of genes, known as the genome. It examines 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. Genomics has numerous applications in clinical care, ancestry, human genetic variation, food safety, infection control and contributes to the “One Health” approach.
Dr. Sebastian Garcia Saiso, Director of EIH at PAHO stated that this regional meeting is crucial for advancing genomics in the Americas. Over two days, representatives from PAHO Member States and regional experts will collaborate to set the agenda for promoting genomics research and precision medicine in the region.
Dr. Ludovic Reveiz highlighted that genomic knowledge and technologies offer new and improved approaches to diagnosing