Yesterday marked World Haemophilia Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the condition and its largely hidden footprint in India. For India’s many haemophiliacs, suffering is often in silence. Haemophilia is a genetic condition which means sufferers do not have enough clotting factor. This refers to a group of proteins in the blood which works […]
genetics
A father’s fifteen-year fight for a drug for his daughter
After fifteen years, a father has won a legal battle over medical expenses he paid to treat his daughter’s genetic condition. The Gujarat High Court has ruled in favour of Harshadkumar Pandya, an assistant teacher in Rajpipla, whose daughter was born with Silver-Russell syndrome, a form of dwarfism. Fifteen years back, on the advice of […]
What drives India’s diabetes crisis?
Diabetes cases in India are rising. Some studies suggest that it is India’s fastest growing disease. India housed an estimated 72 million cases of diabetes in 2017. This figure is expected to increase considerably to 134 million by 2025. A victim of its own success? The reasons for this rapid increase in diabetes cases are […]
As Cabinet gives nod to DNA profiling bill, fears of genetic discrimination mount
The Union Cabinet has approved a controversial bill that would allow law enforcement agencies to collect DNA samples in order to create “DNA profiles”. These would then be used in forensic-criminal investigations and missing person searches. The bill sparked vocal criticism during its formulation. Much of this opposition revolved around privacy disputes in regards to […]
Genome India project has been launched
Can new genomic projects in India increase India’s practically non-existent presence in global gene databanks? The Genome India Project was launched on October 24 at the Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development (IBSD), Manipur. The project will involve comprehensive data resources mapping the genomes of Indians in the North Eastern Region (NER) with the intention […]
Rajasthan to gain genetic testing capabilities
Until now, Rajasthan, India’s largest state by area, has had no capacity to test genetic samples. This has left a vital area of healthcare unaccounted for. This is soon to change with the announcement that J K Lon Hospital is to start up a facility capable of both genetic and molecular testing. The facility itself […]
Social caste and genetic disease
Many millions of Indians are descended from groups of fewer than a hundred people. As a result, they are more prone to some inherited diseases, according to a new study described in Nature. India is currently the second most populous nation in the world, with a population exceeding 1.3 billion. In such a large population, […]
Gene databanks ignore non-Europeans
India has over 1.3 billion people, nearly 20 percent of the world’s population. Despite this, in genetic databases only 0.2 percent of genomes sequenced are Indian. Genome sequencing databanks have been dominated by European genes since the concept came to fruition. In 2009, 96 percent of genomes sequenced were of European ancestry. As of 2017, […]