Wafaa M Rashed: Advocacy is the bridge that connects groundbreaking research to real-world impact

Wafaa M Rashed, Faculty Lecturer of pharmacy at Ahram Canadian University, reshared a post by Blessing Afolabi, Marketing lead, Co-Founder at GradePlus Africa, on LinkedIn:

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker.

Your reflections on the Policy Advocacy on Genetics and Genomics course are truly inspiring!

I couldn’t agree more—advocacy is the bridge that connects groundbreaking research to real-world impact, ensuring that genetic advancements are ethical, accessible, and beneficial to all.

Your insights on evidence-based advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and the importance of deliberate efforts in shaping genetic policies are spot on! It’s amazing to see how the debate session challenged and sharpened your critical thinking on such a crucial topic.

I have no doubt that with your expertise and passion, you will drive meaningful change in cancer genomics and beyond. Keep pushing boundaries, raising awareness, and championing policies that make a difference.

It was an absolute pleasure having you in this cohort. Looking forward to seeing how you apply these advocacy skills in your journey!”

Quoting Blessing Afolabi‘s post:

“I recently completed a “Policy Advocacy for Genetics and Genomics” course offered by the Pan-African PGS Education and Research Initiative (PAPERI). I’m glad I saw this opportunity when it was announced, as I have always wanted to sharpen my advocacy skills. I believe that advocacy makes the benefits and progress in genetic research done in the lab have a widespread positive impact on the public. Similarly, advocacy efforts curb the excesses (ethical issues) associated with genetic research.

A highlight of the course was the debate session, where I had to argue for using genetic information in criminal investigations and forensics in Africa. It was an exciting challenge that reinforced how complex and crucial these discussions are in shaping policies that balance innovation with ethics.

PS: You can watch the recording of the debate session here (Affirmative team -Negative team).

My key takeaways from the course include:

• Advocacy connects research to real-world impact – It helps influence policies that fund genetic research, ensure public access to its benefits, and tackle ethical dilemmas.
• Stakeholders matter – Scientists, policymakers, advocacy groups, and the public all play a role. Even the best policies can fail if the public doesn’t understand or support genetic research.
• Module 3 was about Advocacy Strategies, a major term that stood out to me in the definition of advocacy strategies is ‘Deliberate’. This emphasizes that unless intentional, consistent efforts are made to effect genetic and genomics policies; we will not see the benefits expressed in our community; and ethical concerns won’t be addressed which could lead to more harm than good. Thus, without advocacy, the positive advancement in genetic research will not be felt/used by the public. Also, without advocacy, ethical considerations are left unattended; which can result in misuse, privacy breaches, discrimination, promote inequality etc.
• Evidence-based advocacy is crucial – Strong data and research help push for effective and sustainable policies in genetics and genomics.

Ethical issues regarding genetic data, discrimination, consent, autonomy, global equity, and access must be addressed for effective and sustainable policies in genetics and genomics. Addressing these issues demonstrates ethical responsibility and will promote public acceptance and genetic research.

I’m glad to have gone through this course, as it has given me clear insights on how to push for the implementation of policy laws that promote the use of genetics and genomics for the public good while addressing ethical concerns.

If you’re passionate about bridging the gap between science and policy, this course comes highly recommended.

Thank you Dr. Wafaa M Rashed for creating and convening this course.”