Mbekiza, guinea pigs are martyrs for the common good

Dec 21, 2009

Editor—I wish to comment on a letter by Amon B. Mbekiza entitled, “Ugandans are not guinea pigs” published on December 16.<br>I have this to say:<br>- All drugs, including the ones Mbekiza bought from the pharmacy the last time he fell sick, went

Editor—I wish to comment on a letter by Amon B. Mbekiza entitled, “Ugandans are not guinea pigs” published on December 16.
I have this to say:
- All drugs, including the ones Mbekiza bought from the pharmacy the last time he fell sick, went through some form of testing after a volunteer accepted to be used as a ‘guinea pig’.

- There will never be a pharmaceutical product brought onto the market without undergoing extensive safety and efficacy testing in the laboratory, in mouse and primate models and then into a small group of people, a medium group of people and finally in a large group of people.

- There are international and national rules and regulations for conducting vaccine clinical trials. lParticipating in vaccine testing is an issue of martyrdom as it is voluntary with no coercion or payment for participation.

- The Walter Reed Institute of Research is one of the most reputable organisations in the development and testing of vaccines which all children in Uganda enjoy free of charge.

Bernard S. Bagaya
PhD candidate
Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases

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