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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Alfred P. Minei, Sam O. Kaipu
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5542/2025.03.001
University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, PNG
Information about whether genetic information requires special treatment in law varies around the world and many aspects are not clear. In this study, we draw upon knowledge gained from various disciplines, such as genetics, medicine, law, philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, insurance, and economics, which have all contributed to the study of genetic information, and discrimination based on genetic traits. With this in mind, we are able to set this research study into perspective. We make no claim on behalf of any field of study. Nevertheless, we say the development in the field of genetics is in its infancy and that knowledge of an individual genome would be essential not only for counseling but could also be used for stigmatization and discrimination. The purpose of the study is to help provide useful links concerning legal and ethical issues in human genetics and particularly where it deals with the laws, regulations, and policies concerning genetic information. We deal with the legal and ethical aspects in human genetics that influence genetic information. We examine government policies and the existing legislation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) that deal with genetic information and analyze discrimination cases due to genetic traits and describe its magnitude in PNG. This study places importance on the examination of qualitative data collected by a questionnaire survey from individual subjects representing various organizations in PNG including Department of Health, Insurance companies, General Federation of Employers’ Associations, Trade Unions, and professional workers such as lawyers, District Court magistrates, medical doctors, healthcare workers, students, and private individuals. The study was conducted in towns in PNG although the majority of the participants live in the National Capital District. A sample of individuals (patients) were enrolled in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Individual information was obtained to describe the situation of the area. However, this study did not use administrative records based on health information from the Department of Health which describes the prevalence of genetically disordered individuals. All selected individuals or subjects were interviewed or completed a questionnaire. The data were assessed to characterize the study subsets. The findings of this study are made available to clinical practice in law, medical and public health, and private and public institutions including insurance companies, employers’ federation, mining companies, and workers’ unions in PNG, and academics and researchers. Educational programs on the basic principles of genetics, ethics, and law in relation to insurance will have to be developed to improve the knowledge of insurance, medical, and the cost of long-term care.
genetic traits, discrimination, laws and regulations, Papua New Guinea
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