BIO Statement on Iceland Genetic Data

BIO has long been concerned about the possible misuse of genetic or medical information. Recent news reports about plans to collect data on the health histories of the people of Iceland acknowledge the benefits of data collection for the development of new treatments, as well as the potential for discriminatory misuse of the data. BIO believes these interests can be balanced as new technologies are used to identify and develop revolutionary treatments for diseases.

BIO opposes the discriminatory misuses of medical including genetic information and urges the development of safeguards and penalties to protect against misuse and to encourage the appropriate use of such information for medical research. For more information on BIO's positions and the work of our bioethics committee, visit the bioethics section of our web site, or contact Suzanne Tomlinson, BIO bioethics counsel.