African Researchers Weigh in on Ethics of Genomic Research on African Continent

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Bioethicists, scientists, policy makers and representatives from Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom met Nov. 28-29, 2011, in Abuja, Nigeria, to develop a comprehensive plan for the ethical conduct of genomic research in Africa.

“Our goal at this meeting – the very first of its kind ever held in Africa – was to identify gaps in our knowledge and policies related to ethics in genomic research. This will help us to begin developing standards of conduct for the future of genomic research in Africa,” said Clement Adebamowo, Sc.D., meeting organizer and director of the West African Bioethics Training Program at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, which is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).