The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has been active in research ethics for many years. CIOMS issued the first publication of its Guidelines in 1993 and revised them in 2002. Their purpose was:
"to prepare guidelines to indicate how the ethical principles that should guide the conduct of biomedical research involving human subjects, as set forth in the Declaration of Helsinki, could be effectively applied, particularly in developing countries, given their socioeconomic circumstances, laws and regulations, and executive and administrative arrangements."
The CIOMS Guidelines recognize the challenge of applying universal ethical principles in a world with contrasting resources.
The Guidelines consist of 21 specific guidelines, each followed by interpretative commentaries. Some guidelines that are of special interest to community representatives are:
- Ethical review committees
- Obtaining informed consent: essential information for prospective research subjects
- Benefits for participants and their communities
- Provision of health care services
- Distribution of the burdens and benefits
The CIOMS Guidelines are very influential and have been widely disseminated. They are frequently used as a reference for developing national or local guidelines.
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