Using genomics for the resolution of health issues can be effective but also can cause an ethical problem when applied to creating humans with superior genes. In other words, by engineering humans with more advantageous genes, such as resistance to diseases and aging, society will become segregated into humans created by natural means and humans engineered to be superior. More ethical concerns arise when genetic engineering is used for health and beauty enhancements, where the preference of a specific set of traits might promote colorism, racism, and discrimination.
These implications have not only ethical ramifications but also legal and social ones. In other words, the potential benefits of eliminating genetic disorders can result in global eugenics, where non-harmful genetic variations, such as dwarfism, can become a trait for targeted discrimination. Similar practices might affect certain racial features, which could result in social turmoil and the facilitation of discrimination.
It is difficult to manage the balance between harm prevention and gene enhancement since these notions overlap greatly. For example, it is evident that genetic diseases, such as hemophilia, should be treated through genetic engineering. The main reason is that the disease is highly harmful and life-impairing, and thus, one would only benefit from such a procedure. However, it is not clear whether or not preventing short human height is harm-prevention or enhancement.
A similar case can be presented for disabilities, where the line between these two realms becomes blurred. Parents in patriarchal societies might use genetic engineering to ensure that their children are males, which would promote misogyny. Therefore, using genomics to resolve health issues is a controversial subject, which requires a thorough discussion and preparedness from society in order to avoid its negative ramifications.