Africa plans a network of genomics centres of excellence to tackle disease
Proposed $200 million programme to improve continent’s health would begin with two pilot centres
A plan to set up centres of excellence for genomics across Africa aims to transform access to cutting-edge technologies on the continent. The centres could help to reshape the response to some of the continent’s most pressing health challenges
Africa tops many lists for disease burden yet, genomics has had little impact on healthcare in African nations. A lot of the genetic and genomic studies that have been done to understand disease aetiology have also been done in non-African populations, potentially making the data less relevant for people there.