The Regulation of Genetic Testing and the Protection of Genetic and Medical Information in Singapore

Abstract

In the decades since its independence in 1965, the transformation of Singapore’s economy and its transition to a relatively developed economy has also in like manner transformed its health care system, and of the demands made of it. The emergence and availability of new medical technologies has put into sharp focus many novel legal, ethical as well as social issues. This chapter looks at how Singapore has attempted to respond to issues thrown up by genetic testing and screening technologies. A particular focus of this chapter will be the tension between privacy concerns, and the imperatives of access for biomedical research, given that biomedical research has been championed by the Singapore government as one of the future leading sectors of the economy of Singapore. This chapter also examines Singapore’s approach to the question of “genetic exceptionalism:” Does genetic information possess special qualities or attributes that remove it from the realm of ordinary personal information, and which thereby demands special treatment and protection? In this context, the impact of the doctrine of genetic exceptionalism on industry (in this case the insurance industry) is examined.