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This program includes knowledge and technology transfer, capacity-building projects, and the fostering of innovative and integrated care models, all designed with the vision of establishing genomic medicine in Bahrain and improving public health.
Advances in genomics, clinical diagnostic methods, and therapies are now driving healthcare forward. By integrating clinical data with genetic information, healthcare providers can enhance population screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and risk management, and in some cases, offer new and innovative targeted therapies for conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, lipid disorders, diabetes, cancer, and many other clinically complex morbidities.
In the Middle East, genetic disorders account for a significant proportion of healthcare expenditures and have a substantial societal impact. These disorders are among the most challenging to address due to the vast phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. Genetic diseases are considerably more prevalent in Arab countries and represent one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the region.
There are approximately 7,000 clinically described genetic diseases, yet only about half have a clearly identified genetic cause. Characterizing novel genetic phenotypes and identifying the underlying genes can provide critical new insights into human biology, enabling the development of novel or tailored therapies for these diseases and for more common conditions, thereby advancing precision medicine.
