The International HapMap Project was started with an aim to build a haplotype map of the human genome. This HapMap tool is key to find out genes and the genetic variants that affect disease, health, and drug responses and interactions with the environment. All the data is made available in public databases to access for researchers throughout the world.

The International HapMap Project began formally with a meeting held from October 27-29, 2002. It took 3 years for the completion of this project. It was a collaboration of the following countries- Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, the United States and Nigeria.