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Universal health care, genomic medicine and Thailand: investing in today and tomorrow

Abstract

One potential outcome of investing in genomic medicine is the provision of tools for creating a more cost-effective health-care system. Partly with this aim in mind, Thailand has launched two genotyping initiatives: the Thai SNP Discovery Project and the Thai Centre for Excellence in Life Sciences Pharmacogenomics Project. Together, these projects will help Thailand understand the genomic diversity of its population and explore the role that this diversity has in drug response and disease susceptibility in its population. A major future challenge will be for Thailand to integrate genomic medicine in its relatively young universal health-care system.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge M. Maliakkal for her contributions to this project. This project was funded by Genome Canada through the Ontario Genomics Institute. The McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health, Program on Life Sciences, Ethics and Policy is primarily supported by Genome Canada through the Ontario Genomics Institute, the Ontario Research Fund, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Other matching partners are listed the McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health web site. A.S.D. and P.A.S. are supported by the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine. P.A.S. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Distinguished Investigator award.

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Correspondence to Abdallah S. Daar.

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FURTHER INFORMATION

23andMe

Delphi Health Services Ltd

DNA Analysis for Human Health in the Post-Genomic Era, APEC

FAQs on compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals, World Trade Organization

HeartGenetics

Issues Paper from DNA Analysis for Human Health in the Post-Genomic Era

McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health

National Biotechnology Policy Framework 2004–2009

Reverse Brain Drain Project, National Health Foundation

Roche Amplichip

Sciona

TCELS Pharmacogenomics Project

Thai SNP Discovery Project

Thailand Centre of Excellence in Life Sciences (TCELS)

World Health Organization's Thailand overview

Thailand's Advantages, Thailand Board of Investment

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Séguin, B., Hardy, BJ., Singer, P. et al. Universal health care, genomic medicine and Thailand: investing in today and tomorrow. Nat Rev Genet 9 (Suppl 1), S14–S19 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2443

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