[Genetics in health research and public health]

Public health practice has to date concerned itself mostly with environmental determinants of health and disease and has paid scant attention to genetic variations within the population. The advances brought about by genomics is changing these perceptions. Many predict that this knowledge will enable health promotion messages and disease prevention programmes to be specifically directed at susceptible individuals or at subgroups of the population, based on their genetic profile. Obviously, the integration of genomics into public health research, policy and practice will be one of the most important future challenges that our health care systems will face. In this context, Public Health Genomics (PHG), defined as the responsible and effective translation of genome-based knowledge and technologies into public policy and health services for the benefit of population health, will encounter these chances and challenges.