Malaysia To Leverage Genomics For More Resilient Healthcare System

SHAH ALAM, March 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to leverage genomics to build a more proactive, inclusive and resilient healthcare system.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib said genomics has moved beyond the laboratory and is now shaping modern medicine, including infectious disease detection, precision cancer treatment and the diagnosis of rare diseases.

“As tools such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) continue to advance, our goal is to ensure these innovations remain equitable, affordable and accessible to all Malaysians,” she said in her keynote address at the Next Generation Genomics Congress: Asia 2026, held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) here today.

She said the success of medical innovation must be supported by a strong healthcare ecosystem, including proper nutrition, regular physical activity, effective stress management and the sustainable use of natural resources.

In this regard, genomics complements these fundamental factors in delivering more holistic and effective health outcomes.

Hanifah Hajar added that Malaysia is strengthening its efforts through the MyGENOM initiative, a national population genomics project that underpins precision medicine.

She said the initiative not only builds a local genomic database but also enables earlier prediction of disease risks and improves treatment effectiveness, including in pharmacogenomics.

On the congress, she said the two-day event, which begins today, provides an important platform to enhance collaboration and knowledge-sharing in genomics, including applications of artificial intelligence, big data analytics and technologies such as liquid biopsy.

She urged participants to harness the data revolution, bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, and ensure the benefits of genomics are accessible to all segments of society.

-- BERNAMA