Qatar stresses need for equity in precision health at UNGA

The global importance of making precision healthcare open to all has been spotlighted by Qatar Foundation (QF) and the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations in New York, on the sidelines of the 79th edition of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

In a Qatar-hosted session on *Precision Health for All: The Role of International Partnerships, the nation’s efforts and ambitions in the field of precision health were outlined to an international audience including scientists, academics, policy experts, and health industry leaders.

At the session, HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari said: “As part of Qatar National Vision 2030, we are implementing a strategy to refocus healthcare towards delivering precision health. Genomic sequencing and genetic screening programmes are currently an integral part of our research agenda and the healthcare system.”

“The infrastructure we have established in this field benefits researchers from within and outside Qatar to discover new genes and uncover new disease mechanisms, paving the way for the advancement of biology and medicine, and the discovery of new treatments,” she said.

“The Qatar Precision Healthcare Institute has mapped the Qatari and broader Arab genome, identifying unique variants related to disease causes and pharmacogenomics,” HE Dr al-Kuwari continued.

“These biological samples are stored in a biobank, and this data is currently being applied to provide precision healthcare services in Qatar,” the minister added. “And the integration of whole genome sequencing and other omics technologies into Sidra Medicine's newborn screening programme is contributing to the early diagnosis of rare diseases.”

“We recognise the immense potential for health, wellbeing, and economic benefits in shifting our focus from disease treatment to prevention,” she said. “Achieving this transformation requires strong global partnerships to enhance healthcare outcomes and make preventative care a cornerstone of medical practice worldwide."

HE Dr al-Kuwari called on scientists, specialists, thought leaders, and experts to collaborate in realising the full potential of precision health, both in Qatar and beyond.

The session, attended by more than 100 people, was moderated by Dr Hilal Lashuel, the research, development, and innovation adviser to the QF Chairperson’s Office and executive director of research, development and innovation at the QF.

Dr Lashuel pointed out that more than 80% of the genetic data used in research and to develop drugs comes only from people of European descent, which means the vast majority of the world's population – especially those from Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin America – remain underrepresented in genomic studies.

“This limits our ability to understanding genetic diversity and how it impacts health and disease in other groups,” he said. “If a population is underrepresented in research today, it will be under served by the precision health solutions of tomorrow.”

“Developing diagnostics and therapies based on data from only one population or ancestry risks reinforcing existing health inequalities and leaving large segments behind,” he added.

Dr Lashuel highlighted that the equity problem cannot be solved by simply collecting samples from different populations as we often see today.

“Achieving equity in genomics and genomic medicine demands an intentional, systemic approach to dismantling barriers – barriers to research participation, access to care, technological advancements, and the integration of genomics into healthcare systems,” he stated. “It also requires diverse perspectives that are just as important as diverse data sets in working towards creating a future where healthcare is not only personalised, protected, and predicted, but also inclusive.”

Dr Khaled Machaca, senior associate dean for research, innovations, and commercialisation at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, a QF partner university, spoke of the importance of recognising that all countries can contribute to advancing precision health, saying that while some may not have advanced genomic sequencing capabilities that are on par with the more developed countries, what they do have is the power of data.

“If we take the Middle East, Africa, and India, they collectively represent a third of the total world population – that's very powerful data,” he said. “Big pharma today is buying small companies not for the technology they have, but for the data they have.”

“If these countries in the region are willing and able to get together, to share and curate data, that would be an extremely powerful resource and a potential game changer, which would put the region in a position of power, and this is where partnerships play a crucial role,” Dr Machaca said.

Dr Ann Aerts, head of the Novartis Foundation, who attended the session, said: “The true yardstick of success of any healthcare effort is how accessible it is to every human, regardless of their location and financial status.”

“Qatar and Qatar Foundation have done an exceptional job in setting up a precision health system from the ground up in a short amount of time,” she said. “More importantly, they haven’t stopped there but are now looking to pass on their knowledge and lessons learned to other countries in the region and further, particularly less developed ones.”

“This is a strong testament to their commitment to equity in healthcare and we very much look forward to partnering with them in the near future to make precision health more equitable,” Dr Aerts said.

The QF also hosted a session at the UNGA on *Transboundary Dialogue for a Changing Ocean: Science Diplomacy and the Future of the ROPME Sea Area.

Experts discussed the future of the ROPME Sea Area – the hottest and most anthropogenically affected sea in the world – and explored the opportunities for transboundary collaboration and science diplomacy to conserve our unique ecosystems.

Panelists also spoke about the fate of biodiversity hotspots around offshore energy infrastructure.