ABSTRACT
A focal point of global ethical discussion in recent years has been the glaring inequities in the access of rich and poor, North and South, to treatment for HIV/AIDS. This brings up many thorny questions. Aside from exposing the injustice of the current world order, the neglect of the great majority of HIV/AIDS sufferers also exposes the intense profit motives of the pharmaceutical industry and yet humanity’s radical dependence upon this industry for its continued welfare and health improvements. When it comes to organising research, few other areas are as urgent and as contentious. Presumably, the AIDS pandemic will not be effectively curbed until a vaccine or a cure is developed, yet steps in this direction are extremely costly and often involve considerable risks for research participants. Furthermore, there is serious ambiguity about who bears the burdens of research and who will reap the benefits. Is it possible that treatments are being tested on impoverished Third World populations who will subsequently not be able to afford them? Are ethical standards being lowered when research is conducted in developing countries? Conversely, is it possible to articulate meaningful universal standards of medical research ethics? Is it morally defensible not to invest in research in developing countries?
