Relevance of Precision Medicine in Public Health Genomics and Global Health Genomics

Abstract

Precision Medicine (PM) is anticipated to have significant impact on individual health, public health and global health. With advances in sequencing technology, PM is anticipated to have the capacity of predicting health risks and outcomes and improve population health by using genomics and big data, with the aim to provide the right intervention to the right population at the right time – with the goal of improving health for all. In terms of global health, genomics will play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, and prevention and containment of acute and chronic epidemics, and even global pandemics (influenza, tuberculosis, HIV, and COVID-19). Predicting the response to drug treatments, increasing efficacy and avoiding ADRs in public health is also a positive role of PM. However, opponents are worried about the ethical and social concerns, such as the fear of raising the 10/90 gap between developed and developing countries due to PM. With the goal of looking at PM in public health and global health genomics, this chapter will focus on the relevance of PM in the developed and developing countries, while discussing the anticipated ethical and social issues with recommendations to address the concerns.