EU network aims to balance benefits and risks of genetics in public health
A new EU funded network of experts and public health officials from all EU, accession and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries is aiming to ensure that advances in genetics are exploited by public health systems without threatening individual rights. The Public Health Genomics European network (PHGEN) was launched in January and will run until December 2008. Its members will make policy recommendations on how best to exploit recent advances in genetics, such as the Human Genome Project, while avoiding problems such as genetic inequality in society. Public health has until now mainly been concerned with environmental impacts on health and disease, but many predict that future health initiatives and disease prevention strategies will be specifically targeted towards at-risk individuals or subgroups of the population based on their genetic profiles. There is also concern that such information could lead to genetic inequalities appearing in society, with those individuals more at risk of developing certain diseases being discriminated against, for example, or the well-off benefiting disproportionately from the availability of genetic treatments. PHGEN will serve as a policy think tank and watchdog for the integration of genetics into public health, say its partners. 'The next decade will provide a window of opportunity to establish infrastructures, across Europe and globally, that will enable the scientific genomic advances to be translated into evidence-based policies and interventions that improve population health,' its website adds. Experts in European law will be involved in the network's activities to identify disparities and barriers in different countries' legislation, and contribute towards a 'cross-border market' in the field. Representatives from other European networks and international health organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will also be invited to participate. PHGEN is funded by the Commission's Health and Consumer Protection DG.