Hong Kong lays out blueprint for future of genomic medicine
- Steering committee gives eight recommendations on way forward for field that is becoming a critical aspect of health care
- It calls for better supervision of tests and says people should not be required to submit test results to insurers to obtain coverage
Hong Kong’s first blueprint for developing genomic medicine has called for better regulation of how genetic information is used and tests are handled, especially ones people carry out themselves and can wrongly interpret.
The report – which the government released on Thursday – laid out eight ways the city can speed up the development of the field, which has become increasingly important in determining susceptibility to disease and identifying treatment options for those with uncommon disorders.
Recommendations from the government’s steering committee on genomic medicine, which drafted the report, included the launch of the Hong Kong Genome Project, which would begin recruiting people in the middle of next year to sequence genomes of 20,000 cases in the hope of better diagnosing rare illnesses and aid cancer treatment.
Some cases might involve one person as well as several family members. The city should also establish a network of biobanks, it said, as well as training talent.
The committee called for better regulation of the use of genetic data for insurance through the industry’s code of practice, as well as stepping up oversight of health-related genetic tests, especially ones people can buy directly.
