COMUNICAÇÕES COMMUNICATION
Code of community health rights
Developing countries are often priviledged grounds for population studies. Those countries also harbor large population groups which do not have their minimal citizenship rights warranted. For such cases, whenever scientific research dealing directly or indirectly with human populations is undertaken it is of the utmost importance that special attention is paid for human rights to be respected. The need increases in straight relationship to the lack of information of such populations regarding the scientific knowledge involved which constitutes an integral part of the researcher's equipment. Such communities are consequently, less able to defend themselves of procedures potencially damaging, collectivelly and/or individually, to their well-being.
THUS:
1 It is essential for the community to be organized so it may willingly participate, through their leaders and organization(s), throughout the investigation;
2 The community has the right to be fully informed about the nature, objectives, advantages and eventual hazards of the research to be undertaken;
3 Nobody may be submitted to a investigation about which he/she has not been previously informed and agreed to it;
4 No experimental procedure may be planned in a way to subtract from the community preventive and/or therapeutic measures, either totally or partially;
5 No community can be submited to experiment (s) which may aggravate any of the preexisting surrounding health hazards;
6 No community will be deprived of any of the health care to which it is entitled on the grounds of having previously refused to be submitted to a given investigation;
7 Community work must not end upon completion of the investigation. Its results should be translated into actions useful to the community;
8 Local health services should be informed of the investigation and whenever possible should take part on it;
9 All knowledge derived from the investigation should be forwarded to the appropriate health authorities so results may be used by all.
FOR THE COMMUNITY HEALTH RIGHTS TO BE OBSERVED:
1 They should be incorporated into the Brazilian Phycian's' Code of Ethics. Henceforth said Code will be able to legislate in community-related medical practices;
2 Ethics committees should be created in medical schools, hospitals and state and private research institutes;
3 Ethics committees should be created in Brazilian granting agencies such as "Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico" (CNPq), "Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos" (FINEP) and, "Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo" (FAPESP), etc.
Este texto foi aprovado nas Assembléias Gerais da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (Instituto René Rachou, 30.000 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais) e Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (C.P. 8105, 01000 São Paulo, S.P.).
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
16 Oct 2012 -
Date of issue
Aug 1986
