The most up-to-date who publication on the subject, the report may help 191 WHO Member States to ensure that genome technology is used to reduce rather than exacerbate global inequalities in health status. In the coming decades, information generated by genomics will have major benefits for the prevention, diagnosis and management of many diseases which have been difficult or impossible to control. At the same time, this new field presents a series of highly complex scientific, economic, social and ethical issues which are dealt with in the report.