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Away from Exploitation and towards Engagement: An Ethical Compass for Medical Researchers Working in Resource-Poor Countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Daniel W. Fitzgerald  and
Angela Wasunna
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Extract

In this era of globalization, as the health problems of poor countries and rich countries become increasingly intertwined, medical research is being conducted at the international level. For example, a research study may be sponsored by a developed country and conducted in a resource-poor country to address health problems faced by both nations. The globalization of medical research is, in effect, quickly outpacing the development of internationally accepted ethical guidelines for the conduct of research. For many medical researchers working in resource-poor countries, ethical decision-making is like sailing in the days before modern navigation; one is never quite sure where one is, or in what direction one is headed. Our aim in this article is to fix a few navigational points on an ethical compass to guide biomedical researchers from developed countries working in resource-poor countries.

Just as one of the principles underlying the Hippocratic Oath is “First, do no harm,” a principle underlying medical research ethics may be “First, do not exploit.”

Type
Article
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , Fall 2005 , pp. 559 - 565
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2005

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