Regulating human genomic research in Africa: why a human rights approach is a more promising conceptual framework than genomic sovereignty

Frontiers in Genetics

Genetics

Faith Kabata¹  Donrich Thaldar² 

[1] School of Law, Durban, South Africa;School of Law, Durban, South Africa;Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, United States;

关键词: human genomics;    genomic sovereignty;    human rights;    regulation;    right to science;    Africa;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fgene.2023.1208606

 received in 2023-04-19, accepted in 2023-05-16,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

This article revisits the debate on the regulation of human genomic research, with a focus on Africa. The article comprehensively examines the concept of genomic sovereignty, which was invoked mainly in the global South as a conceptual framework for state regulation of human genomic research. It demonstrates that genomic sovereignty has no utility value in human genomic research as it violates the rights of individuals and researchers. By analysing Mexico’s regulatory approach based on genomic sovereignty and a divergent regulatory approach, viz Finland’s human genomic research framework, we show that a human rights approach is more promising as it aligns with the state obligations under the right of everyone to participate in and benefit from scientific progress and its applications in international human rights law. We conclude by recommending that African states should anchor regulation of human genomic research on a human rights framework based on the right to science.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Kabata and Thaldar.