To ensure the development of science and the safe, transparent handling of biological samples and data from people, it is extremely important to adopt the bill on biobanks as soon as possible, stated the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs during a visit to the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (LBMC).
As reported by the LETA agency, the president's advisor Mārtiņš Drēgeris stated that the president discussed with researchers from the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (LBMC) the possibility of applying the conducted research and accumulated data to improve the healthcare system in Latvia and enhance public health management.
The concept of 'One Health' was also discussed - an approach that considers the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. This approach allows for a better understanding of how infections arise and spread, how the state of the environment affects health, and what risks may impact society in the future.
Rinkēvičs noted at the meeting that the LBMC demonstrates how 'science with high value for people' can be created in Latvia. He emphasized that solutions are being developed at the centre that allow for the early detection of diseases, more accurate treatment, and timely identification of health risks.
In the president's opinion, the knowledge accumulated at the centre can be used much more broadly in the future - for example, for newborn screening and early diagnosis of rare hereditary diseases.
As reported, the members of the Saeima supported the bill on biobanks in the first reading, aimed at developing personalized medicine and researching biological materials of human origin both in Latvia and internationally.
The aim of the law is to promote the establishment and functioning of biobanks, as well as to regulate the processing of biological samples of human origin and related data, including genetic and other large-scale molecular data, for scientific research and the implementation of personalized medicine goals.
