Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T10:57:58.127Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 26 - Giving Voice to African Thought in Medical Research Ethics

from Section 5 - The Importance of Including Cross-Cultural Perspectives and the Need for Dialogue

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2021

By
Godfrey B. Tangwa
Edited by
Solomon Benatar  and
Gillian Brock
Solomon Benatar
Affiliation:
Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Cape Town
Gillian Brock
Affiliation:
Professor of Philosophy, University of Auckland
Get access

Summary

In this chapter, I consider the virtual absence of an African voice and perspective in global discourses of medical research ethics against the backdrop of the high burden of diseases and epidemics on the continent and the fact that the continent is actually the scene of numerous and sundry medical research studies. I consider some reasons for this state of affairs as well as how the situation might be redressed. Using examples from the HIV/AIDS and Ebola epidemics, I attempt to show that the marginalization of Africa in medical research and medical research ethics is deliberate rather than accidental. It is causally related, in general terms, to a Eurocentric hegemony derived from colonialism and colonial indoctrination cum proselytization. I end by proposing seven theses for the critical reflection and appraisal of the reader.

Type
Chapter
Information
Global Health
Ethical Challenges
 , pp. 339 - 344
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bodunrin, P. O. (1985). Philosophy in Africa: Trends and perspectives. Ile-Ife: University of Ife Press.Google Scholar
Henao-Restrepo, A. M., Longini, I. R., Egger, M., et al. (2015). Efficacy and effectiveness of an rVSVvectored vaccine expressing Ebola surface glycoprotein: interim results from the Guinea ring vaccination cluster-randomised trial. Lancet 386(9996), 857–866.Google Scholar
Hountondji, P. J. (1996). African Philosophy: Myth and Reality, 2nd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
London, L., Tangwa, G., Matchaba-Hove, R., et al. (2014). Ethics in occupational health: deliberations of an international workgroup addressing challenges in an African context. BMC Medical Ethics 15:48.Google Scholar
Mazrui, A. A. A. (1976). A World Federation of Cultures: An African Perspective. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Ngu, V. A., & Ambe, F. A. (2001). Effective vaccines against and immunotherapy of the HIV: a preliminary report. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Science 1(1), 2–8.Google Scholar
Ngu, V. A., & Tangwa, G. B. (2000). Effective vaccine against and immunotherapy of the HIV: scientific report and ethical considerations from Cameroon. Paper presented at the Fifth World Congress of Bioethics, Imperial College, London.Google Scholar
Ngu, V. A., & Tangwa, G. B. (2015). Effective vaccine against and immunotherapy of the HIV: scientific report and ethical considerations from Cameroon. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences 12(2), 76–83.Google Scholar
Ngu, V. A., Ambe, F. A., & Boma, G. A. (2002). Significant reduction of HIV loads in the sera of patients treated with VANHIVAX. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Science 2(1), 7–12.Google Scholar
Ngu, V. A., Besong-Egbe, B. H., Ambe, F., et al. (2007). The conversion of HIV seropositive to seronegative following VANHIVAX. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Science 7(1), 17–20.Google Scholar
Nyamnjoh, F. B. (2012). “Potted plants in greenhouses”: a critical reflection on the resilience of colonial education in Africa. Journal of Asian and African Studies 47(2), 129–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oruka, H. O. (1990). Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Debate on African Philosophy. Nairobi: Acts Press, African Center for Technology Studies.Google Scholar
Tangwa, G. 1992. African philosophy: appraisal of a recurrent problematic, part 1: the sources of traditional African philosophy. Cogito 6(2), 78–84.Google Scholar
Tangwa, G. (1992). African philosophy: appraisal of a recurrent problematic, part 2: what is African philosophy and who is an African philosopher? Cogito 6(3), 138–143.Google Scholar
Tangwa, G. B. (1996). Bioethics: an African perspective. Bioethics 10(3), 183–200CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tangwa, G. B. (2002). International regulations and medical research in developing countries: double standards or differing standards? Notizie di Politeia 18(67), 46–50Google ScholarPubMed
Tangwa, G. B. (2004). Bioethics, biotechnology and culture: a voice from the margins. Developing World Bioethics 4(2), 125–138.Google Scholar
Tangwa, G. B. (2010). Elements of African Bioethics in a Western Frame. Mankon: Langaa RPCIG.Google Scholar
Tangwa, G. B. (2015). Traditional medicine, in ten Have, H. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Berlin: Springer, pp. 1–8.Google Scholar
Tutu, D. (1999). No Future Without Forgiveness. New York: Doubleday.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2016). Ebola virus disease (Fact sheet No. 103). Available at www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/ (accessed March 2, 2017).Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2014). Ethical considerations for use of unregistered interventions for Ebola virus disease (EVD): Summary of the panel discussion. Available at www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2014/ebola-ethical-review-summary/en/ (accessed March 2, 2017).Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×