PAHO to hold a regional meeting on human genomics for health

PAHO will hold the regional meeting "Human Genomics for Health: Enhancing the Impact of Effective Research" in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 15-16, 2024, as a first step to promote the implementation of genomics in clinical medicine and public health, and in strengthening genomics research in the Americas.

Genomics is the study of the complete set of genes (the genome) of organisms, how genes function, interact with each other and with the environment. It deals with the characterization of all the genes of an organism, rather than the individual genes studied by genetics. It is a rapidly evolving multidisciplinary field of science that is progressively offering insights into diverse areas such as clinical care, food safety, and infection control, and is a vital component of the "One Health" approach.

PAHO's Science and Knowledge for Impact Unit (SK/EIH), with the support of WHO, the PAHO Brazil Country Office, and the Ministry of Health, Brazil, is organizing this two-day meeting. It will bring together representatives of PAHO`s Member States and regional experts and researchers working within the precision medicine ecosystem.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Science Council has employed a program of activities to promote equitable and fair access to genomics research and technologies for the benefit of people worldwide (Accelerating access to genomics for global health, 2022).

Regional Meeting’s Objectives:

To raise awareness amongst Member States and regional stakeholders about the WHO Science Council report.
To share experiences and best practices in the implementation of genomic evidence to improve precision of the practice of medicine at individual level and to inform public health strategies at a population level.
To identify challenges and feasible strategies for the implementation of genomics in practice and for conducting genomic research in Member States.
To create opportunities for linkages and collaborations.

The regional meeting in Brasilia will be held in several languages - Spanish, English and Portuguese - with simultaneous interpretation to facilitate smooth communication among participants.

final agenda Meeting's webpage

- DATE: May 15-16, 2024

- LANGUAGES: English, Spanish, and Portuguese with simultaneous translation.

- PAHO TV LIVE STREAMING BY LANGUAGE AND DATE:

Day 1