Toward an open access genomics database of South Africans

Genomics research holds the potential to improve healthcare. Yet, a very low percentage of the genomic data used in genomics research internationally relates to persons of African origin. Establishing a large-scale, open access genomics database of South Africans may contribute to solving this problem. However, this raises various ethical concerns, including privacy expectations and informed consent. In this article, Amy Gooden and I show how the ethics landscape can indeed be navigated in a responsible way to establish a large-scale genomics database of South Africans that is open access.