Achieving health equity in the application of genomic medicine requires greater access and availability of genomic information from the diverse population of the North West.
Being able to understand connections between genomic changes and disease in population groups, will enable researchers to develop care pathways, and inform preventative measures for those amongst us who are potentially at greater risk of developing specific diseases and conditions.
To increase the diversity of data that is truly representative of the regional and national population, we are working in collaboration with agencies across the region, to inform research and genomic transformational projects.
Improving the diversity of genomic data will:
- Support equity of access to genomic medicine and genetic testing
- Provide a greater understanding of how genomic variants contribute differentially to the health of individuals
- Enable personalised healthcare via a precise application of genomic medicine
- Identify patients who are at high risk of developing certain conditions
- Inform commissioning of alternatives to in-person visits, which could include telemedicine, online based genetic counselling, and increased availability of educational resources to support a greater understanding of genomic test results
People from South Asian communities with Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage, have historically been underrepresented in the genetic data sets used by doctors, scientists, and policymakers to inform healthcare decisions. It is widely acknowledged that there is a need for health and genetic research to be more representative of the population both nationally and regionally across the North West, including ethnicity as well as other characteristics.
This year we are supporting Alliance partners and a range of regional projects in support of health equity. For more information, please visit our 2022-2023 projects page.