Submission ID 131680
| Issue/Objective | The profound inequity in the rapid growth of genomic medicine is highlighted by the fact that African populations possess the greatest human genetic diversity yet have accounted for less than 0.5% of genome-wide association study (GWAS) participants for two decades. Such exclusion directly threatens global health equity, leading to less accurate disease risk predictions and suboptimal access to precision medicine benefits for these populations. Structural governance barriers perpetuate this gap, disproportionately affecting African low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluated the global policy barriers to African genetic sovereignty and proposes sustainable, rights-based solutions. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A narrative review was conducted systematically by searching PubMed, Scopus, African Journals Online (AJOL), and gray literature from global health organizations and genomic governance frameworks. Search terms included "genomic sovereignty," "genomic data governance," "Africa," and "global health policy". Sources were supplemented by WHO, H3Africa, and AU/Nagoya Protocol records. Data were synthesized using a thematic approach to identify recurring structural and policy barriers. |
| Results | Our findings highlighted four policy barriers to the genomic divide. First, exploitative data-sharing architectures allow biological samples and genomic data to be exported from Africa without enforceable benefit-sharing, contravening the Nagoya Protocol. Second, IP asymmetries under TRIPS-compliant patent regimes enable Northern institutions to commercialize discoveries derived from African genetic material. Third, chronic underinvestment persists, with flagship initiatives such as H3Africa and DSI-Africa remaining dependent on Northern philanthropic funding rather than sovereign financing mechanisms. Fourth, governance representation deficits exclude African researchers from NIH Data Access Committees and GA4GH standard-setting bodies, entrenching unequal power in global genomic science. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Addressing these challenges requires collaborative approaches confronting structural governance failures. Key strategies include establishing binding benefit-sharing instruments in international agreements and creating African-led governance bodies with substantive authority in global consortia. It is equally critical to dismantle dependency on Northern philanthropy by creating sovereign investment mechanisms, such as a proposed AU Genomics Fund. Reframing the genomic divide as a social determinant of health, not a scientific shortfall, emphasizes the urgent need for equitable health governance. These solutions align with calls to dismantle upstream governance failures and center Global South leadership. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Peter Abioye College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Peter Abioye College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Oluwabukunmi Kolawole College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Praise Abioye College of Medicine, University of Ibadan David Adesanya College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Sodiq Abdulsalam College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Olawale Famakin College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Victor Udochukwu College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Emmanuel Adebisi College of Medicine, University of Ibadan Blessed Olaomo College of Medicine, University of Ibadan |
