Health research and safeguards: The South African journey

Health research, as a social good, needs to be conducted in the interests of the common good. Because of the unfortunate exploitation of research participants globally, safeguards for protections are necessary. Most international codes and guidelines originated as responses to the abuse and mistreatment of research subjects. By the 1890s, antivivisectionists were already calling for laws to protect children, as a result of the increasing numbers of institutionalised children being subjected to vaccine experiments in Europe and the USA. Just after the turn of the century, the first attempt to test a polio vaccine was thwarted after the American Public Health Association condemned the programme. In South Africa, medical scientists were busy with discoveries and innovations as far back as the 1800s. In December 1967, the historic first human heart transplant was undertaken in Cape Town. Although it is unclear how much research preceded this procedure, there is no doubt that the operation was done in a research setting, and it had a far-reaching impact

Editorial

After Life Esidimeni: True human rights protections or lip service to the Constitution

Research ethics review - protecting participants in research

No abstract. South African Medical Journal Vol. 95 (8) 2005: 595-59

The research ethics evolution : From Nuremberg to Helsinki

PKHealth research sets out to acquire not only theoretical knowledge but also benefits for many people and often society as a whole, and is therefore justified. The quandary, though, is how such an important, shared purpose can be pursued with full protection of individuals and communities, in particular those with vulnerabilities. Abuses in the field surfaced in the early 1800s, and by the 1890s, anti-vivisectionists were calling for laws to protect children because of the increasing numbers of institutionalised children being subjected to unethical research. When read together, the Nuremberg Code and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be interpreted as establishing a basis for underpinning the principles of free and informed consent and avoiding harms and exploitation in scientific experiments involving human participants. The Declaration of Helsinki has been recognised as one of the most authoritative statements on ethical standards for human research in the world

The Life Esidimeni tragedy: Moral pathology and an ethical crisis

The Life Esidimeni tragedy highlights several ethical transgressions. Health professionals’ ethics are put to the test when their own interests are balanced against competing claims. Core values of compassion, competence and autonomy, together with respect for fundamental human rights, serve as the foundation of ethical practice in healthcare. These values are increasingly being challenged by governments and other third parties. The duties conferred on healthcare practitioners require them to act responsibly and be accountable for their actions. Codes in healthcare serve as a source of moral authority. The Gauteng health authorities exerted tremendous power and created a culture of fear and disempowerment among healthcare practitioners. When health professionals choose to support state interests instead of those of patients, problematic dual-loyalty conflicts arise

The Life Esidimeni tragedy: A human-rights perspective

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) affirms that all human beings are entitled to core rights essential to human fulfilment. Although all human rights are important, the ICESCR’s guarantee of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health may be the most significant. Having good health is necessary for human wellbeing. Paramount to this is the freedom of individuals to exercise their human rights. As seen with the Life Esidimeni tragedy, people with mental illnesses often find it more difficult than others to achieve the fulfilment of their rights. This article discusses human-rights legal instruments, and focuses on the rights to health, life and dignity in the context of the tragedy. It also examines how the realisation of human rights can have meaningful results for mentally ill people

Informed consent – 2008

No AbstractSouth African Journal of Bioethics and Law Vol. 1 (1) 2008: pp. 27-3

Book Review: The Health of Nations: Towards a New Political Economy

The Health of Nations: Towards a New Political EconomyBy Gavin Mooney. London: Zed Books, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-780320-601-hb

Laws, regulations and guidelines of developed countries, developing countries in Africa, and BRICS regions pertaining to the use of human biological material (HBM) in research

Human biological material (HBM) is an invaluable resource in biomedical research. Although research ethics committees (RECs) are guided by international guidelines and frameworks, some RECs might not be fully informed about local ethical and regulatory requirements regarding the use, collection, storage, ownership, transfer and benefit-sharing of HBM in collaborative research