Background: Stakeholders who are committed to bridge the gap in genetics services need to be aware of current initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We reviewed selected experiences from African geneticists that led to specific recommendations. Results: The initiation of prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell anaemia founded the first medical genetic service in Cameroon. There remains a need for international collaborative effort to overcome the lack of human, technical and financial resources around the practice of medical genetics in Africa. The African Society of Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust and NIH have recently proposed a model on how to fully engage Africa in genomics. It includes a ‘Health and disease’ phase I: use of the case-control design to study genetic and epidemiological determinants of 7 important diseases in Africa, and a ‘Genetic variation’ phase II: comprehensive documentation of genetic variations in 100 carefully selected ethnic groups across Africa. The strategy would require the development of: (1) clinical phenotyping centres, (2) molecular phenotyping centres, (3) genotyping and sequencing capability, (4) data centres, and (5) a bio-repository in Africa. Conclusions: Governments and international health agencies need to recognise that genetics is important to the global medical community. The initiatives of African geneticists need advocacy and encouragement from the international community.

Keywords:
Capacity-building, Human genetics, Sub-Saharan Africa
1.
World Health Organization: Control of genetic diseases. Report 2005. Available at http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB116/B116_3-en.pdf.
2.
Weatherall DJ: Hemoglobinopathies worldwide: present and future. Curr Mol Med 2008;8:592–599.
3.
Alwan A, Modell B: Recommendations for introducing genetics services in developing countries. Nat Rev Genet 2003;4:61–68.
4.
Collins FS: Shattuck lecture – medical and societal consequences of the Human Genome Project. N Engl J Med 1999;341:28–37.
5.
Wonkam A, Njamnshi AK, Angwafo III FF: Knowledge and attitudes concerning medical genetics amongst physicians and medical students in Cameroon (sub-Saharan Africa). Genet Med 2006;8:331–338.
6.
Wonkam A, Hurst SA: Acceptance of abortion by doctors and medical students in Cameroon. Lancet 2007;369:1999.
7.
Rotimi CN: Inauguration of the African Society of Human Genetics. Nat Genet 2004;36:544.
8.
Ana JN: Africa’s medical brain drain: brain gain and brain circulation result when drain is reserved. BMJ 2005;331:780.
9.
Newport MJ, Rotimi CN: Reducing the global genomic inequity gap: development of an African Genome Project. Public Health Genomics 2009;12:251–252.
10.
Tishkoff SA, Reed FA, Friedlaender FR, Ehret C, Ranciaro A, Froment A, Hirbo JB, Awomoyi AA, Bodo JM, Doumbo O, Ibrahim M, Juma AT, Kotze MJ, Lema G, Moore JH, Mortensen H, Nyambo TB, Omar SA, Powell K, Pretorius GS, Smith MW, Thera MA, Wambebe C, Weber JL, Williams SM: The genetic structure and history of Africans and African Americans. Science 2009;324:1035–1044.
11.
Hardy BJ, Séguin B, Ramesar R, Singer PA, Daar AS: South Africa: from species cradle to genomic applications. Nat Rev Genet 2008;9(suppl 1):19–23.
12.
Anonymous: Developing genetics for developing countries (editorial). Nat Genet 2007;39:1287.
© 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel
2010
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.