Mohamed Larbi Bouguerra

About the author: Mohamed Larbi Bouguerra is the former director of the National Institute for Scientific and Technical Research in Tunisia. He has written several books about the negative effects of new science and technology on the third world and the environment.

Gene therapy and research, which aims to treat genetic disorders and diseases by replacing faulty genes, is expected to serve as the basis of medical advances in the twenty-first century. However, this technology is very expensive and likely to be inaccessible to thirdworld people. Also, because many impoverished countries are not on the forefront of genetic research, they are not included in current debates regarding the ethics and implementation of gene therapy. But their participation is vital because alterations in the human gene pool could unexpectedly have adverse effects...