Genetic disorders in Pakistan: Experts stress need for awareness, tackling know-how
IV Report KARACHI: Experts discussing genetic disorders in humans at an international meeting, organised at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi, highlighted the importance of increased awareness and tackling know-how in Pakistan, particularly in view of the high rate of consanguineous marriages, also known as cousin marriages, which increases the risk of genetic diseases. The senior physicians noted the dearth of genetic specialists, emphasising the need for extensive inclusion of genetic clinics, genetic counseling, and genetic testing in the local healthcare system and medical education degree programmes. The DUHS meeting, titled 'Genetics today and tomorrow', was held in collaboration with the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (Appna) and featured faculty from genetics and pathology from Pakistan and the US. Genetic disorders DUHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr M Saeed Quraishy stressed the need for understanding the consequence...