(Nepal) Follow ethical guidelines, researchers told

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Follow ethical guidelines, researchers told

 

By Our Correspondent

 

KATHMANDU, March 2: Experts at a two-day training on

Research Ethics on Thursday said that ethical

guidelines were not being followed while doing

research in different fields.

 

Speaking at the training organised by Nepal Health

Research Council (NHRC) here today, experts said that

ethical guidelines were undermined while doing

research particularly in the developing countries.

 

They said that the researchers prior to their research

must inform the respondents about the aims,

objectives, methods, anticipated benefits and

potential hazards and discomfort from the study.

 

Member of NHRC and Dr. Ramesh Acharya of Tribhuvan

University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) said that the

training aimed at monitoring and enhancing the

capacities of the researchers involved in different

fields.

 

Dr. Acharya said that if the research is being

conducted at the local level, the concerned researcher

should take permission from the local authorities and

if it is to be conducted at the national level they

should take permission from the NHRC by submitting

their research proposals. All the organisations should

follow the ethical guidelines while doing research, he

said. Although there are lots of national level

guidelines, none of them have been put into effect, he

said.

 

A paper presented by dean of Institute of Medicine at

Tribhuvan University Dr. Ramesh Kant Adhikari said

ethics is the science of morality and all the actions

involved in human or animal experiment. He said that

only 10 per cent of the developing countries are

following the ethical guidelines.

 

He said that the features of the guidelines have

clearly stipulated that the research carried out on

adults cannot be carried out on children or mentally

challenged persons, who are not capable of giving

informed consent.

 

Other guidelines such as research in children should

not be carried out if it does not give any benefit to

them or the country. The interest of the children and

participants' consent must be taken for the release of

confidential data if that is necessary, Dr. Adhakari

said. He said that research should be reviewed and

approved by the ethical review committee.

 

Member of Institutional review Committees (IRC) Dr.

Aarati Shah in her paper said that there were only

five IRCs across the country but it is better to have

one IRC in each institution. She said that IRC

provides independent, competent and timely review of

proposed studies. Network of ethical review should be

established at the regional, national and local

levels.