TEMBE-FOKUNANG1 EA, FOKUNANG C.N.1,
1Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon;
CaHReF 2018, Yaoundé Congres hall, 08 – 11 January 2019 , OAUU011
Background:Rapid advances in genetic research duringthe past two decades have challenged scientists, healthcare professionals, ethicists, government regulators, legislators,and consumers to reflect on new developments.Being constantly updated on the scientific advancesand their implications is important for all stakeholdersinvolved in making informed decisions about the waysin which genetic research and information will affect thelives of current and future generations.
Methods The potential benefit and risks associated withgenetic and genomics research is different from the typesof potential benefits and risks associated with other typesof health research like clinical trials and biomedical researchinvolving human subjects. Unlike most potentialrisks associated with biomedical research or clinical trialswhich are in most cases biological in nature, potentialrisks associated with genomic research are mostly socioeconomicin nature.
Results The peculiarity of some of the aspects of geneticresearch and the complexity of the science involved areidentified. The extent, to which these characteristicshinder issues of disclosure of information, is a practicalchallenge that tends to be exaggerated in most situations.Genetic and genomic research since the unravelling of the human genome has the potential for drug discovery anddevelopment of new drugs and biologics like vaccines forpoverty-related diseases of developing nations.
Conclusion: This contribution presents the various typesof genetic research and illustrates some ethical issues. Itis followed by a proposal on possible ways of managingsome of the major challenges in emerging countries.
Key Wordss: genetics, genomics, ethics, clinical research, developing countries.