Concluding Remarks of the 1997 Genomics Strategic Plan

Continual advances in human genetics will offer new opportunities for disease prevention and health promotion and may lead to a new paradigm for individualized preventive medicine. This strategic plan lays out the long-term vision for the role of public health in translating advances in human genetics into health promotion and disease prevention. Public health professionals will have an important role in assessing the public health impact of gene-environment interaction and the health needs of various populations; in ensuring the appropriateness and the quality of genetic tests and services; in evaluating the impact of genetic tests and services on the health of the populations; and in addressing complex ethical, legal, and social issues. The goals of the strategic plan for genetics are the foundation for immediate, continued, and not-yet-defined actions necessary to translate advances in human genetics into public health action.