A leading health expert has called for a coordinated national strategy to advance personalised medicine in Nigeria, highlighting its potential to revolutionize patient care and optimize treatment outcomes.

Speaking at a virtual webinar hosted by SYNLAB Nigeria, the expert emphasized that personalised medicine—an approach that tailors treatment to a patient’s unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environment—represents the future of healthcare.

The session, themed “Precision and Personalization: The Future of Medicine in Nigeria,” brought together medical professionals, researchers, and policymakers to explore how precision diagnostics and data-driven treatment can improve clinical outcomes.

Key Takeaways from the Webinar

• Genetic Testing Must Go Mainstream:
  The expert emphasized the need for routine genomic and molecular testing in Nigeria’s healthcare facilities, arguing that personalised medicine is “no longer optional but essential.”
• Cost Barriers Must Be Addressed:
  Despite the promise of personalised medicine, accessibility remains a challenge. The speaker urged public-private partnerships to reduce testing costs and expand reach to underserved populations.
• Training & Infrastructure Gaps:
  “We need a pipeline of trained molecular pathologists, bioinformaticians, and genetic counselors to support implementation,” the expert said. Institutions must invest in capacity building, especially at teaching hospitals.
• Policy Framework is Urgent:
  The expert called for a national strategy on genomics and precision health, backed by legislation and ethical oversight to protect data privacy and patient rights.

SYNLAB’s Role in Advancing Personalized Medicine

SYNLAB, a leading medical diagnostics provider in Nigeria, reiterated its commitment to bringing advanced molecular diagnostics to the forefront.

“We are investing in local capacity and infrastructure to ensure Nigerians benefit from global advances in genomics,” said a SYNLAB spokesperson.

SYNLAB’s initiatives include:

Why Personalized Medicine Matters for Nigeria

With the rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses, the traditional one-size-fits-all treatment model is becoming less effective.

Personalised medicine enables:

• Early disease detection
• Targeted treatment with fewer side effects
• Improved patient outcomes
• Efficient use of healthcare resources

“Imagine cancer treatment designed specifically for your genetic profile—this is not the future, it’s already here,” the expert concluded.