AZT Trials in Developing Countries (14)
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The news that researchers in the US have decided to drop segments of
AIDS drug trials in Africa in which subjects receive only placebos
and no drugs, must be sweet news in the ears of all who believe in
the sanctity of human life, who uphold the dignity of human life and
who know that all human beings must be treated equally, no matter
whether they are poor, ignorant or sick!
The researchers say that their decision was not in response to world
wide the implications of their trials were not well thought out? Was
it because the studies were to be carried out in the so called under-
developed world?
There is absolutely no reason to begin to ask these questions, be-
cause we know that those who decided to run drug trials under condi-
tions that were unacceptable in their own environment were being un-
fair, uncaring and inhumane. Let us hope that this will be a lesson
for the future.
The battle to prevent the conduct of unethical research in Africa was
fought by men and women of courage. The decision of the US research-
ers to rethink the conduct of their unethical research is convincing
victory for people like Marcia Angell of the New England Journal of
Medicine, Sidney Wolfe and Peter Lurie of the Public Citizen's Health
Research Group, and many many others who stood up against injustice
and unfairness. They must have lost a few friends, they must have
suffered some harassment. I salute you all. Your sufferings were not
in vain.
In this victory, I am slightly distressed by the loud silence shown
by majority of my African colleagues. There was palpable unconcern,
distant indifference and brazen aloofness. We were like the prover-
bial ostrich, head hidden in the sand, the implications of their tri-
als were not well thought out? Was it because the studies were to be
carried out in the so called underdeveloped world?
We kept silent so that we can enjoy the fruits of unethical research.
We allowed outsiders to fight our fight for us, and some of even
sided with those who pretend to love us more than we know how. We
showed indeed that, like our political leaders, we were ready to
sacrifice the masses of our people for our personal gain, our
individual progress, and our private comfort.
However, all is not lost, nor is the battle over. We have not seen
the end of unethical research in Africa, conducted either by outsid-
ers or even ourselves. New diseases will arise, more do-gooders
abound, the poor will ever be with us, the vulnerable poor. We will
continue to have political leaders schooled in the academy of oppres-
sion, graft and unbridled show of raw power. The poor of our society
who have nowhere to go, will continue to bear the brunt of this mis-
rule.
We who have had the opportunity of choice, we who have the privilege
of knowledge, must be there for the weak, the vulnerable, the help-
less. We are their only hope. We must continue to be vigilant. Our
watchword must be: DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WISH THEM TO DO UNTO YOU.
I leave you with a question that many of us must always answer before
we collude with others to carry our what Alan Zarembo calls "quest
for budget therapies". the question is, will you recruit your sister
or brother for a drug trial like the AZT trial, knowing what you know
about AZT and that he or she may be in the placebo group?
Once again, I salute those who stood courageously against unethical
research in Africa. Once again I call on my African colleagues to
champion the cause of Africa's downtrodden poor. It is our duty to do
so.
We must look forward with hope!
Oyewale Tomori
Zimbabwe
mailto:TOMORI@healthnet.zw
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