Killing with Kindness?

In 2010, life expectancy in Botswana is expected to drop to about 30 years if the AIDS epidemic remains unchecked. In Canada, life expectancy is over 80 years and rising. Such shocking inequities in health are perhaps today's greatest ethical challenge. Can the unfolding revolution in genomics (the study not of individual genes but of all genes as an entity) and biotechnology be harnessed to reduce these inequities? We believe the answer is a qualified ``Yes,'' if certain conditions are met.

First, we must not mistakenly view genomics/biotechnology as ``high-tech,'' expensive and therefore irrelevant for developing countries. Vaccines were and still are high-tech, but their cost has come down and they have made a huge impact in developing countries. In many developing countries, genetic disorders are among the top public health priorities. The ongoing sequencing of the genomes of malaria, the tubercle bacillus, leprosy, hepatitis viruses and HIV raises serious hopes of better vaccines in the future. A vaccine against HIV is already being tested in Kenya. Edible vaccines from transgenic plants are likely to be more useful for developing countries than for developed ones because they avoid the need for refrigeration.

Second, developing country concerns must be kept at the forefront of discussions about the potential benefits of genomics and biotechnology. People who protest against globalization in places like Genoa are unlikely to die of hunger in Somalia. The voices of people in developing countries must be heard. For example, Hassan Adamu, Nigeria's former Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development has noted: ``It is possible to kill someone with kindness, literally. That could be the result of the well-meaning but extremely misguided attempts by European and North American groups that advise Africans to be wary of agricultural biotechnology.''

https://prosyn.org/3kisQaU