Genomic and Precision Medicine

Genomic and Precision Medicine (Third Edition)

Infectious and Inflammatory Disease
2019, Pages 105-115
Genomic and Precision Medicine

Chapter 8 - Aspiring to precision medicine for infectious diseases in resource limited settings

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Abstract

On the surface, resource-limited settings may not seem to be an appropriate place to employ cutting-edge precision medicine approaches and technologies. After all, by definition these austere environments lack even the basic resources for diagnosing and treating disease. Here we argue that it is precisely these resource constraints that make precision medicine highly relevant and perhaps even more practical than relying on traditional approaches. Current diagnostic methods for infectious disease require infrastructure, highly trained staff, and a supply chain that will be unattainable and/or unsustainable for a substantial portion of the global population for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the promise of precision medicine to guide clinical decision-making and focus specific treatments on those most likely to benefit while sparing others the cost and potential side-effects would be revolutionary in settings where illness can plunge families into extreme debt, and treatment decisions are often made based on ability to pay. Finally, we discuss the parallels between the limitations encountered in the medical facilities of forward deployed troops and the promise of precision medicine for our armed forces.

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