Top ten biotechnologies for improving health in developing countries

Please click on the following link for the full report:

http://www.utoronto.ca/jcb/_genomics/top10biotechnologies.pdf

Taken from the 'Executive Summary' of the report:

"Over one billion people entered the 21st century unaffected by the previous century’s health revolution that contributed to dramatic improvements in the quality and length of life of people in the developed world. Genomics and other biotechnologies promise to take this health revolution to its next stage by improving the way we identify, prevent, diagnose, treat, and modulate diseases, both communicable and non-communicable. However very little research has so far focused on the application of biotechnology to health problems prevalent in the developing world. This leads to fears that a "genomics divide" in health is forming between rich and poor nations which will only exacerbate existing health inequities.

In April 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report, Genomics and World Health, which highlights the relevance of genomics for improving health in developing countries. The first of that report’s 11 recommendations calls for regular assessments of the health impacts of genomics, particularly for developing countries. The potential of genomics and other biotechnologies is associated with a significant degree of uncertainty, and in order for the developing world to derive the maximum benefit from limited resources, researchers, funding agencies and governments in both industrialized and non-industrialized nations need credible information about the relative potential of various biotechnologies. To our knowledge, our report is the first to provide this important information for developing countries. It is aimed at people who do not necessarily have a scientific background, such as policy makers, politicians, educated laypersons, and others who are likely to shape policy and investment in biotechnology and health."