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Genome sequencing for medicine makes progress, but concerns loom

The Health Ministry has collected and made publicly available genomic data from 9,000 Indonesians, a development expected to help doctors make more accurate diagnoses and provide better treatment.

Alifia Sekar (The Jakarta Post)
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Jakarta
Wed, September 18, 2024

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Genome sequencing for medicine makes progress, but concerns loom An illustration of genomic sequencing. (Shutterstock/angellodeco)

T

he Health Ministry has collected genomic data from 9,000 Indonesians, a development expected to help doctors make more accurate diagnoses and provide better treatment.

But the government’s biobank project has raised concerns among some experts over the safety of patients’ personal data and the expense of the undertaking.

On Sept. 12, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced that his office had gathered the genomic information of 9,000 Indonesian patients. Of that number, researchers had sequenced around 6,000 genomes and analyzed 4,500 to identify risk factors for various conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health issues.

Genome sequencing refers to the process of recording a person’s full set of genetic material. To do so, researchers extract a patient’s DNA from blood samples.

Once extracted, the biological information is translated into a digital file of letters that correspond to the DNA’s base pairs. The letters are then computationally analyzed to detect mutations and variations that may affect the patient’s health.

A patient can look at their biomedical information stored in the Health Ministry’s biobank through the SatuDNA portal, which is accessible through the ministry’s SatuSehat mobile app.

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