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Abstract
Rethinking the ethical framework for biomedical research on HIV in developing countries
Laudy D.1, Kêdoté M.2
Overview: At the end of 2005, around 25 million Africans out of 38,6 million people worldwide have HIV positive (UNAIDS, 2006) and the progression of the disease is fulgurant. The african’s developing countries have a fundamental need for biomedical research in the development of vaccines and microbicides to fight HIV transmission which has a detrimental impact on their population. Paradoxily, the imperative need for research makes the population of these countries vulnerable to exploitation. A dilemma arises between the individual interests of the experiment subjects and the hypothetical good of the population as a whole. How can we ensure that biomedical research projects on HIV taking place in developing countries are performed within an adequate ethical framework respecting the population interests? A grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR allowed to embark on a clarification work on the regulation.
Methodologically we performed content analysis through international and national texts: Helsinki Declaration (2002), the CIOMS guidelines, the Good Ethical Practice (1995), the UNESCO Universal Declaration On Bioethics (2005). We also referred to scientific literature on clinical research in the developing countries and a number of African committees.
Results: We noted that there are not enough functional local research ethical committees. In the countries where they are in place, they do not have access to the financial resources, the necessary competences or the required expertise. Moreover, the project evaluations which are currently undertaken are largely based on concepts which are not compatible with the current cultural, social, economic and political particularities. This makes the basic transfer of the developed country principles and procedures impossible.
Conclusion: The problems that hinder the application of principles found in the norms bring us to engineer a pragmatic ethical framework based on the cultural values and norms found in developing countries.
4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention
Abstract no.
WEPEC043
Suggested Citation
"LaudyD., et al.
Rethinking the ethical framework for biomedical research on HIV in developing countries.
Poster exhibition:
4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention:
Abstract no.
WEPEC043"
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