PAHO Boosts Health Research Ethics in Latin America, Caribbean

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is working with over 10 Latin American and Caribbean countries to develop comprehensive laws, regulations, and policies aimed at fostering an ethical framework for health research. This initiative not only seeks to align these nations with global standards but also aims to ensure that health research directly benefits their populations.

“Health research is essential; it is the foundation for cures for diseases and for strategies that prevent or alleviate the suffering of millions,” said Carla Saenz, Regional Advisor on Bioethics,  PAHO. 

According to PAHO, the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for re-evaluating ethical standards across the Americas, emphasizing the need for strong ethical governance in health research and reinforcing the critical link between research and public health. Currently, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and Bolivia are revisiting and strengthening their national health research policies to ensure that health research serves the well-being of their populations.

In a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Saenz discussed the 2024 revision of the Declaration of Helsinki, a globally recognized document from the World Medical Association that outlines ethical principles for medical research involving human participants. The latest update to the declaration introduces specific guidelines for managing identifiable human data and biological materials, ensuring that ethical standards remain current in the evolving landscape of medical and health research.

PAHO has developed a strategy with defined objectives and specific indicators to enhance research ethics. The PAHO-led initiative is responding to ongoing challenges; while some countries have ethical standards for limited clinical research, gaps remain in areas like ethics training and clinical trial oversight, revealing an uneven approach to research ethics across the region.

PAHO’s strategy includes establishing specific objectives and measurable indicators to address these gaps and create robust structures that facilitate ethical research across all health domains, not just clinical trials. PAHO also encourages adopting broad legal frameworks to address varied forms of health research, promoting transparency, accountability, and participant protection as essential elements of research integrity.

To ensure compliance with the upcoming ethical standards, PAHO advises countries to strengthen the institutions that oversee research ethics committees. This effort is crucial for fostering collaboration between health authorities, research institutions, and science agencies. Such collaboration will be necessary to develop policies that guarantee ethical research and  promote responsible conduct within the research community. Ultimately, these initiatives aim to enhance public health outcomes across Latin America and the Caribbean.