Human
subject research is the process by which researchers try out advancements in
medicine or any other area on human beings. This type of procedure has been conducted
for a long time, and in the last two centuries several ethical complaints have
been made.
The Tuskegee syphilis experiment is a
well-known case of polemic human subject researches. Between 1932 and 1972,
hundreds of African American males from Tuskegee, Alabama, were being treated
for syphilis without knowing that they had contracted the disease beforehand.
Moreover, doctors lied to them by saying that they were being treated for “bad
blood,” which is a generic term for diseases such as anemia and fatigue (see picture for more details)
Many changes in regulations ensued: patients were
supposed to know what they are actually doing; participants must know their precise
test results, among other changes. So, it seems that such situations are necessary
for the creation of regulations that ensure people’s lives. But, are these
rules enough to stop researchers from malpractices?
In 2008, fourteen Argentinean children under the
age of one died during a research conducted in 2007 and 2008 by GlaxoSmithKline.
The company and several doctors were fined and accused of experimenting with
human beings and falsifying contracts.
Clearly, human experimentation is an issue
that does not seem to stop even if countries establish more regulations. The solution,
in my opinion, is to create an international document that ensure people’s
lives during research and supervise these companies. So, what do you think? Do
you agree with my solution? Why? Why not? Is there other way to prevent such
atrocities?
Medical malpractices are all over the world, however, I must say that there is, in fact, an international document that ensure people's lives during experiments, research and treatments. This document is "THE BELMONT REPORT" where all the ethical principles and regulations are described, and it was issued in 1978, so it is not something new. This report's purpose is to protect all the subjects and participants in clinical trails, and respecting their will. In addition to The Belmont Report, there is another document: DECLARATION OF HELSINKI, in which there is also described a set of ethical principles regarding human experimentation. Now going back to your question, of course there is a way of preventing these atrocities; the law is doing its job, but the medical community is also responsible and duty to obey the law.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the sense that the law is doing its part to protect people from malpractices. The problem is that the scientific community is not obeying such regulations and norms. That multinational companies conduct research in third world countries (such as many countries in South America) is not a secret to anyone. GKS knew that such research could not be carried out in the UK because of the country’s regulations regarding human experimentation, so the company transferred the experiment to Argentina because there were not solid norms that could protect people there.
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