MYGenom Project Recruits Nearly 4,000 Participants Nationwide

SUNGAI SIPUT, Aug 28 (Bernama) — The MyGenom project has recruited nearly 4,000 participants nationwide, with 1,200 genomes successfully sequenced using high-performance local sequencing facilities as of August this year.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that of the total, more than 1,000 participants were successfully recruited from the Bumiputera communities, including Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Iban, Bidayuh and Melanau.

“For the Orang Asli communities in Peninsular Malaysia, the MyGenom project will involve the Jakun, Temuan, Bateq, Jahai, Semai and Temiar ethnic groups to ensure that Malaysia’s genetic diversity is truly reflected in the national genome database,” he said in a speech text read by Deputy Health Director-General (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Nor Fariza Ngah.

Dr Nor Fariza represented Dzulkefly in officiating the Launch Ceremony of the MyGenom Orang Asli Research Data Collection at the Orang Asli One Stop Centre (OAOSC), Bawong, near here today.

Dzulkefly said the Orang Asli community was a national treasure that must be safeguarded, with the MADANI Government committed to strengthening their rights and well-being, including education, infrastructure, welfare, healthcare and employment opportunities, in line with the aspirations of the 13th Malaysia Plan.

According to Dzulkefly, the MyGenom project is based on the principle of health equity, as inclusive genome data can prevent bias in the understanding of diseases and treatment responses.

At the same time, he said, the data also supported the development of more precise treatments for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as rare diseases, in addition to fostering a skilled workforce in genomics and health biotechnology that would strengthen the nation’s competitiveness.

“Most importantly, it (the data) ensures that the Orang Asli communities and all ethnic groups in Malaysia are not left behind from the benefits of scientific advancement in healthcare and universal health coverage.

The MyGenom project is spearheaded by researchers from agencies under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), namely the Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute (MGVI), National Institute of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM), Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The MOH MyGenom project team employs three sampling strategies, namely continuous collection at seven blood donation centres in selected hospitals nationwide, periodic collection at three blood donation centres in selected hospitals, and sample collection for target communities.

— BERNAMA

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