Asserting The Primacy of Health Over Patent Rights: A Comparative Study of the Processes that Led to the Use of Compulsory Licensing in Thailand and Brazil
Abstract
Since the 1970s, the United States has adopted a trade policy agenda that has forced countries to trade away flexible patent provisions for access to US markets. While pharmaceutical companies have argued that the recognition of patent rights is essential for recovering investments in research and development of pharmaceuticals and incentivizing future innovation, the lack of competition has had damaging consequences for public health, as companies tend to set the prices of treatments beyond the reach of consumers and government programs. Thailand and Brazil are bound by law to provide universal access to anti‐r...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 21, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Stephanie T. Rosenberg Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Bioethics in the Malay‐Muslim Community in Malaysia: A Study on the Formulation of Fatwa on Genetically Modified Food by the National Fatwa Council
Abstract
The field of bioethics aims to ensure that modern scientific and technological advancements have been primarily developed for the benefits of humankind. This field is deeply rooted in the traditions of Western moral philosophy and socio‐political theory. With respect to the view that the practice of bioethics in certain community should incorporate religious and cultural elements, this paper attempts to expound bioethical tradition of the Malay‐Muslim community in Malaysia, with shedding light on the mechanism used by the National Fatwa Council to evaluate whether an application of biological sciences is ethic...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 21, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Noor Munirah Isa, Azizan Baharuddin, Saadan Man, Chang Lee Wei Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Patent Funded Access to Medicines
Abstract
Instead of impeding access to essential medicines in developing countries, the essay explores why and how patents can serve as a source of funding for the much needed access to medicine. Instead of a weakening of patents, prolonged protection periods are suggested in circumstances where there is widespread lack of access. The revenues from extended patents are seen as a source of funding for drug donations to the least developed countries. (Source: Developing World Bioethics)
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 21, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Tom Andreassen Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Between Relativism and Imperialism: Navigating Moral Diversity in Cross‐Cultural Bioethics
Abstract
The need for explicit theoretical reflection on cross‐cultural bioethics continues to grow as the spread of communication technologies and increased human migration has made interactions between medical professionals and patients from different cultural backgrounds much more common. I claim that this need presents us with the following dilemma. On the one hand, we do not want to operate according to an imperialist ethical framework that denies and silences the legitimacy of cultural values other than our own. On the other hand, we do not want to backslide into a form of cultural relativism that is unable to crit...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 21, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Daniel Beck Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Ethical Implications of Case‐Based Payment in China: A Systematic Analysis
Abstract
How health care providers are paid affects how medicine is practiced. It is thus important to assess provider payment models not only from the economic perspective but also from the ethical perspective. China recently started to reform the provider payment model in the health care system from fee‐for‐service to case‐based payment. This paper aims to examine this transition from an ethical perspective.
We collected empirical studies on the impact of case‐based payment in the Chinese health care system and applied a systematic ethical matrix that integrates clinical ethics and public health ethics to analyze...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 20, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Pingyue Jin, Nikola Biller‐Andorno, Verina Wild Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
[Re]considering Respect for Persons in a Globalizing World
Abstract
Contemporary clinical ethics was founded on principlism, and the four principles: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice, remain dominant in medical ethics discourse and practice. These principles are held to be expansive enough to provide the basis for the ethical practice of medicine across cultures. Although principlism remains subject to critique and revision, the four‐principle model continues to be taught and applied across the world. As the practice of medicine globalizes, it remains critical to examine the extent to which both the four‐principle framework, and individual principl...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 11, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Aasim I. Padela, Aisha Y. Malik, Farr Curlin, Raymond De Vries Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Reuse Of Pacemakers In Ghana And Nigeria: Medical, Legal, Cultural And Ethical Perspectives
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. Over 80% of CVD deaths take place in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). It is estimated that 1 million to 2 million people worldwide die each year due to lack of access to an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) or a pacemaker. Despite the medical, legal, cultural and ethical controversies surrounding the pacemaker reutilization, studies done so far on the reuse of postmortem pacemakers show it to be safe and effective with an infection rate of 1.97% and device malfunction rate of 0.6...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 11, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Aloysius Ochasi, Peter Clark Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Biomedicine, Public Health, and Citizenship in the Advent of Antiretrovirals in Botswana
This article describes the singularity of the Botswana experience in facing AIDS and creating the widest possible access to antiretroviral medications for its citizens. Through exploration of different sets of actors and the construction of their ethics of treatment, it is possible to examine how free and universal access was created within the national antiretroviral program. This article underscores the importance of the site and the local dynamics in the advent of an ethics of access to treatment for Botswana citizens. At the intersection of national citizenship, pharmaceutical philanthropy, and biomedical collaboration...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 11, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Fanny Chabrol Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
A Brief History of Biomedical Research Ethics in Iran: Conflict of Paradigms
Abstract
During the past two decades, Iran has experienced a noteworthy growth in its biomedical research sector. At the same time, ethical concerns and debates resulting from this burgeoning enterprise has led to increasing attention paid to biomedical ethics. In Iran, Biomedical research ethics and research oversight passed through major periods during the past decades, separated by a paradigm shift. Period 1, starting from the early 1970s, is characterized by research paternalism and complete reliance on researchers as virtuous and caring physicians. This approach was in concordance with the paternalistic clinical pract...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 11, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Kiarash Aramesh Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Improving the Quality of Host Country Ethical Oversight of International Research: The Use of a Collaborative ‘Pre‐Review’ Mechanism for a Study of Fexinidazole for Human African Trypanosomiasis
This article examines the process and outcomes of this collaborative process. (Source: Developing World Bioethics)
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 1, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Carl H. Coleman, Chantal Ardiot, Séverine Blesson, Yves Bonnin, Francois Bompart, Pierre Colonna, Ames Dhai, Julius Ecuru, Andrew Edielu, Christian Hervé, François Hirsch, Bocar Kouyaté, Marie‐France Mamzer‐Bruneel, Dionko Maoundé, Eric Martinent Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Debating Ethics in HIV Research: Gaps between Policy and Practice in Nigeria
Abstract
HIV prevention is a critical health issue in Nigeria; a country that has one of the worst HIV epidemic profiles in the world. With 270,000 new infections in 2012, Nigeria is a prime site for HIV prevention research. One effect of the HIV epidemic has been to revolutionalise ethical norms for the conduct of research: it is now considered unethical to design and implement HIV related studies without community engagement. Unfortunately, there is very little commensurate effort in building the capacity of local persons to engage actively with researchers, and there is no existing platform to facilitate dialogue betwee...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 1, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, Kristin Peterson, Bridget Haire, Brandon Brown, Kadiri Audu, Olumide Makanjuola, Babatunde Pelemo, Vicki Marsh Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Ethics and Rationing Access to Dialysis in Resource‐Limited Settings: The Consequences of Refusing a Renal Transplant in the South African State Sector
This article examines one such set of Guidelines: A patient dialysing in the state sector in South Africa may not refuse renal transplantation when a kidney becomes available. Refusal of transplantation can lead to exclusion from the state‐funded dialysis programme. This Guideline is legally acceptable as related to Constitutional stipulations which allow for rationing healthcare resources in South Africa. Evaluating the ethical merit of the Guideline, and exploring the ethical dilemma it poses, proves a more complex task. We examine the actions of healthcare professionals as constrained by the Guideline. From a best int...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 1, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Harriet Etheredge, Graham Paget Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Ethical Issues in Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health Research in Nigeria
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the need to address the ethical dilemmas related to the engagement of adolescents in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research. Research projects, including those that address issues related to STIs and HIV, adverse pregnancy outcomes, violence, and mental health, must be designed and implemented to address the needs of adolescents.
Decisions on when an individual has adequate capacity to give consent for research most commonly use age as a surrogate rather than directly assessing capacity to understand the issues and make an informed decision on whether to participate in resear...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 1, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, Bridget Haire, Abigail Harrison, Morolake Odetoyingbo, Olawunmi Fatusi, Brandon Brown Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Enhancing Research Ethics Review Systems in Egypt: The Focus of an International Training Program Informed by an Ecological Developmental Approach to Enhancing Research Ethics Capacity
Abstract
Recently, training programs in research ethics have been established to enhance individual and institutional capacity in research ethics in the developing world. However, commentators have expressed concern that the efforts of these training programs have placed ‘too great an emphasis on guidelines and research ethics review’, which will have limited effect on ensuring ethical conduct in research. What is needed instead is a culture of ethical conduct supported by national and institutional commitment to ethical practices that are reinforced by upstream enabling conditions (strong civil society, public account...
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 1, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Hillary Anne Edwards, Tamer Hifnawy, Henry Silverman Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Making Tenofovir Accessible In The Brazilian Public Health System: Patent Conflicts And Generic Production
This article aims to describe the experiences surrounding TDF in Brazil and the unprecedented conflicts and challenges it has brought for our different interviewees. Blurring the frontier between the public and the private, the TDF case was driven at the same time by an ethic of drug access and regulation of drug quality, which has inspired Brazilians to intervene and transform the world they live in. (Source: Developing World Bioethics)
Source: Developing World Bioethics - April 1, 2014 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Juliana Veras Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
