Genetic diseases are hard to diagnose because they are often rare conditions caused by mutations that defy the usual battery of lab tests doctors turn to.

The sequencing of the human genome twenty years ago and rapid advances in genetic sequencing technology​ since then has given clinicians an important new way to approach rare disease diagnosis.

Genome Canada’s All for One initiative is now a pan-Canadian project to facilitate the uptake of genome-wide sequencing as a standard of care for rare diseases by ministries of health across the country. It marks an important step in bridging clinical care and research to drive life-saving breakthroughs.

In Alberta our TIGeR project is one of the six precision health projects across the country which are building regional capacity for clinical genomic sequencing.

Genome Alberta’s CEO David Bailey said that, “We are very pleased to ensure that Alberta is part of this precision health initiative in Canada. Patients need clear and easy access to their clinical and genomic data to become informed and foster a better understanding about their own health”.

Ivana Cecic is Director of Corporate Development (Health Portfolio) for Genome Canada. She talked with freelance broadcaster Don Hill about All for One and the significance of its role in building a coordinated Canadian health genomics system.