I totally agree with your sentiments – the promise of genomics can’t be allowed to overshadow the need to conduct research ethically, no matter where that research is conducted.

I encourage you to read the reports about each country to get a full picture of the programs they are pursuing. I would say, however, that it appears that all four countries profiled in this series of papers – Mexico, India, Thailand, and South Africa – are taking steps to make sure that those who are involved in this research are treated ethically and respectfully.

The reports about India and Thailand described both countries’ efforts at establishing ethical guidelines and educating the public about the goals, benefits and risks of this research. South Africa’s programs are just getting off the ground, but it seems that they are definitely including considerations of the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics research on their population.

I’m particularly impressed with Mexico’s attention to these issues. INMEGEN has split its genotyping efforts into two phases. The first phase collected data from members of the Mestizo population who had given consent. The second phase (which is in its early stages) will focus on indigenous populations, paying special attention to making sure these people are fully informed and educated about the research they are being asked to take part in.

There seems to be somewhat of a Catch-22 to these programs. The studies cannot be done without the gathering and indexing of a large number of individual’s genetic information. But with the gathering of that information, how does one insure it will not be used in any sort of insidious way, especially when we’re are talking about the governments of developing countries.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Jeff