Sociological Contributions to Developing Ethical Standards for Medical Research in Very Poor Countries: The Example of Nepal

Abstract

This chapter discusses guidelines that specify the ethical standards for medical research in very poor countries in order to show how a sociological explanation of illness causation and health care access can offer some additional insight into the refinement of those guidelines. There has been considerable discussion on the proper ethical standards to apply given the context of extreme poverty and inadequate health care infrastructure that characterizes poor countries. Our analysis is intended to suggest that a sociological explanation for illness causation provides a clear justification for including the social context when specifying ethical guidelines and also clarifies the issues that must be addressed. This perspective is particularly sensitive to inequalities in health and access to health resources among medical research subjects, and therefore addresses core issues of justice and beneficence.

Citation

Tausig, M., Subedi, J. and Subedi, S. (2007), "Sociological Contributions to Developing Ethical Standards for Medical Research in Very Poor Countries: The Example of Nepal", Katz Rothman, B., Mitchell Armstrong, E. and Tiger, R. (Ed.) Bioethical Issues, Sociological Perspectives (Advances in Medical Sociology, Vol. 9), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 301-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1057-6290(07)09012-2