World Health Organization (WHO) Issues New Recommendations on Human Genome Editing
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new recommendations on human genome editing to promote public health.
- The World Health Organization has released two reports titled ‘Human Genome Editing: A Framework for Governance’ and ‘Human Genome Editing: Recommendations’.
- Both these reports provide the first global recommendations to help establish human genome editing as a tool for public health. It also stresses safety, effectiveness and ethics.
- Recent applications of tools such as CRISPR Cas-9 to edit the human genome raise ethical issues such as safety (non-target effects), informed consent, gene-edited children, justice and equity, etc.
Highlights of the report ‘Human Genome Editing: Recommendations’
- Leadership by WHO and its Director General in terms of opportunities and challenges.
- Human Genome Editing Registries: To ensure that clinical trials are reviewed and approved by the appropriate Research Ethics Committee prior to inclusion in the Registry.
- Intellectual Property: Ensuring equitable access to human genome editing efforts.
- Moral values and principles have been formulated, which will be used by WHO.
Governance framework for human genome editing
- To develop governance framework that will be drawn from the best practices inherent in the governance of emerging technologies. The framework will apply these best practices specifically to human genome editing.
- It aims to assist those working to strengthen monitoring measures at all levels i.e. institutional, national, regional or international level.
About human genome editing technology
Human genome editing (also known as gene editing) is a group of technologies. It gives scientists the ability to modify the DNA of an organism, that is, to add, remove or modify genetic material at a particular location.
Source – The Hindu
