[afro-nets] About the ethics of medical research in developing countries

[Barbara Keating <barbara.keating@scidev.net>]

About the ethics of medical research in developing countries
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New spotlights on SciDev.Net


Dear All at AFRO-NETS

Below you find a notice about our new resources on the ethics of
medical research in developing countries. The notice gives an
overview of what to expect in each spotlight. I would also be
grateful if you would include a note on your web site.

Many thanks,

Barbara Keating
mailto:barbara.keating@scidev.net

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NEW SPOTLIGHTS ON THE ETHICS OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES

The Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) have launched
three new online 'spotlights' on the ethics of medical research,
dealing specifically with the topics of guidance and regulation,
capacity building and ethical review committees. The spotlights
provide an overview of the issues in relation to developing
countries through policy briefs, relevant excerpts from interna-
tional guidance, summaries of key reports and opinion pieces.

Spotlight on guidance and regulation:
http://www.scidev.net/ethics/guidance

Guidelines designed to protect research participants have pro-
liferated over the last two decades, leaving medical researchers
in developing countries to reconcile an extensive - and some-
times contradictory - framework of ethical guidance and regula-
tion. This spotlight aims to provide a pathway through this com-
plex field. In a comprehensive policy brief on "The challenge of
regulating global human subjects research", James Lavery pro-
vides an introduction to the regulation of international human
subject research, describing the different approaches used, and
highlighting some of the challenges faced.

Spotlight on capacity building:
http://www.scidev.net/ethics/capacity

Capacity building is an essential part of ensuring that develop-
ing countries can respond to the evolving field of medical re-
search ethics, with many calling for research sponsors and in-
ternational bodies to provide financial assistance. This spot-
light gives an overview of existing schemes to build capacity,
and provides links to relevant training programmes and online
tutorials. It includes a useful overview by Sue Eckstein on the
current initiatives to build capacity in research ethics in de-
veloping countries.

Spotlight on ethical review:
http://www.scidev.net/ethics/review

Ethical review committees and institutional review boards are
charged with the protection of research participants, making
case-by-case analyses of the ethical acceptability of research
proposals. This spotlight looks at the issues raised by such re-
view in developing countries. It includes a policy brief by Zul-
fiqar A. Bhutta who explains how the work of such committees is
severely constrained in many developing countries.