For immediate release
>
> Pakistan medical researcher wins the Science and Development Network
> ethics essay competition
>
> Recent years have seen growing international debate about the ethics of
> conducting medical research in developing countries. With resources
> often-limited within developing countries, there can often be an increased
> risk of exploitation of the more vulnerable parties.
>
> Earlier this year, the Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net)
> launched an essay competition to tap into new thinking about the ethical
> issues surrounding clinical trials in the developing world. Following a
> number of excellent entries giving refreshing perspectives on this often
> controversial area, SciDev.Net is pleased to announce Robyna I. Khan from
> Pakistan as the winner (http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/khan [2]).
>
> Robyna I. Khan, a consultant anaesthesiologist from the Aga Khan
> University in Karachi, Pakistan, wrote the piece based on her own
> experiences as part of a research project. Participants, with a wide
> variety of medical needs, were selected when they came to the hospital for
> treatment. The patients then paid for their treatment, but this also
> included the cost of the research intervention. Khan speaks passionately
> about how situations like this raise difficulties for those working in
> medical research in developing countries where the ethical requirements of
> their studies come up against the reality on the ground.
>
> SciDev.Net is delighted to publish Khan's opinion piece in its online
> dossier on the ethics of medical research which last year won the most
> innovative web publication award from the Institute of Medical Ethics for
> its 'spotlight' on consent (http://www.scidev.net/ethics [3]).
>
> Professor Brian Greenwood, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
> chairman of the advisory panel for the ethics of medical research dossier
> and judge of the essay competition. "This competition brought to light
> some fascinating perspectives about ethical research in the developing
> world. Robyna I. Khan highlights some of the real-life issues of those
> conducting research in developing countries and we are glad to be able to
> bring them to the attention of the international community of medical
> researchers and health professionals."
>
> The use of SciDev.Net material, including this article, is free to
> reproduce with appropriate accreditation for the author and SciDev.Net
> (please see editors notes for full legal details).
>
> Notes to the editor:
>
> 1. The winning entry "Paying the price of research" by Robyna I. Khan can
> be found on http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/khan [2]. The ethics of medical
> research dossier, which includes opinion, analysis, news, resources and
> educational resources, can be found at http://www.scidev.net/ethics [3]
>
> 2. Use of materials in other print and electronic media is free. However
> those wishing to reproduce SciDev.Net original articles must credit
> SciDev.Net and the author.
> The author credit for this article opinion article should be 'Robyna I.
> Khan, winner of the Science and Development essay on ethics competition'.
> The source of the article should be 'SciDev.Net'. Where the material is
> reproduced on a website, a link should be included to the SciDev.Net
> website (www.scidev.net [4]).
> SciDev.Net would be grateful for publications to inform us when the
> article has been used for monitoring purposes.
>
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>
> 4. The Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) aims to build capacity
> through the provision of free reliable information on science-based issues
> for the developing world. The website is backed by the world's two leading
> scientific journals, Nature and Science, and the Third World Academy of
> Sciences. Financial support has been provided by the UK Department for
> International Development, the Swedish International Development
> Cooperation Agency, the International Development Research Centre in
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