Editorial : Implementation of genomic medicine in Africa : one continent, one vision

Abstract

The translation of genetic research from bench to bedside involves multiple choices related to clinician-patient shared decision-making, with ethical implications at every step of the way. Given the evolving evidence base and limited genomic data from African genomes, we were delighted to receive three reviews, one opinion article, three perspectives, six original papers, and a brief research report with a checklist for assessment of the readiness to implement public health genomics. The latter contribution by Jongeneel et al. included survey results previously generated in parallel to the development of a framework for implementation of genomic medicine in Africa, which was published in February 2021 on commission of the African Academy of Sciences (https://www.aasciences.africa/publications/policy-paper-frameworkimplementation- genomic-medicine-public-health-africa). The Policy Brief summarized this framework for personalized genomic medicine as the foundation of the current translational Research Topic, showcasing collated evidence of applied knowledge in Africa to enable translation of research into clinical practice, as the study endpoint. The wide range of methodologies used, and implementation approaches presented, were evaluated for evidence of transition from population to individualised risk stratification required for the application of personalised genomic medicine.