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Source:
www.moh.gov.sg |
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MOH supports BAC¡¯s
Recommendations on Data Protection |
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On the Bioethics Advisory Committee¡¯s (BAC)
report entitled: ¡°Personal Information in Biomedical Research¡±, the
Ministry of Health (MOH) welcomes the BAC¡¯s recommendations. |
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We support the stand that personal
information identifiable to an individual participating in human
biomedical research should be safeguarded. |
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Proper rules governing the access and use of
personal information and a secure system of information protection would
re-assure research subjects on the confidentiality of personal
information. |
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In this connection, MOH is drafting a
National Disease Registry Bill to provide an overarching legal framework
for the collection of epidemiological information on key diseases for
public health policy and planning purposes. |
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The Bill will state clearly the rules as to
whom, and for what purpose, and in what form, the information can or
cannot be released. It will make mandatory provisions for data
protection and make any breach a punishable offence with jail term and
fines. |
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Once the draft Bill is ready, MOH will seek
the public¡¯s views and feedback on this legislation. This is likely to
be sometime in the middle of the year. |
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As for BAC¡¯s recommendation on third
party access to predictive genetic test results by employers and
the insurance industry, this is a complicated subject, which would
require further study by the various regulatory agencies (e.g. MOH,
MOM, MAS, etc). |
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There is as yet no global
consensus on what is the best approach, partly because the science
is still evolving. |
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Source:
www.moh.gov.sg Press Release 7
May 2007 |
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FrontPage Edition: Sat 12 May 2007
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