New Yorker Examines Ethics of Testing Vaccines for HIV/AIDS in Africa
The Feb. 3 issue of the New Yorker includes an article on the African HIV/AIDS pandemic and the ethical implications of efforts to develop a vaccine. Although a clinical vaccine trial in the United States or Europe would require "every infected participant receive the best care available today -- a lifetime commitment to expensive antiretroviral medicine -- should such a promise be made to Africans?" The article explores the "central debate of the AIDS epidemic," namely, "whether Western ethics and the rule of medical care which accompany them should prevail in Africa. ... Is appropriate treatment for a community in Northern Uganda the same as it would be in Manhattan?" (Specter, New Yorker, 2/3). The magazine is available on newsstands.
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.