If there’s one thing the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has shown us, it’s that diseases and pandemics do not respect boundaries. In a globalized world, what affects one country’s physicians and patients can affect all of us, no matter where we are.
I just returned last month from the World Medical Association’s (WMA) General Assembly meeting in South Africa, where delegates passed an emergency resolution calling for comprehensive tactics to prevent and treat the Ebola virus, including adequate equipment, training and aid. By passing this emergency resolution, we declared that the world must recognize Ebola as a global crisis, not just a problem for West Africa.
It’s fitting that we take time right now to reflect on the WMA’s Declaration of Helsinki, a seminal document that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Delegates at the 1964 WMA meeting in Helsinki adopted the new declaration, setting out ethical regulations for biomedical research.
Today, the Declaration of Helsinki is one of the world’s most important ethical documents and a foundation of contemporary research ethics. In light of the Ebola outbreak and use of unproven therapies to treat the disease, the declaration and our relationship with the WMA are perhaps more important than ever.
The WMA held a special ceremony last week to mark the Declaration of Helsinki’s anniversary. Speakers from around the world discussed how millions of people have benefited from research carried out under its guidelines. WMA President Dr. Xavier Deau emphasized that the declaration is a living document and will continue to change as physicians address the latest challenges in medical research and practice.
Similarly, the AMA’s own Code of Medical Ethics is a living document—one that’s in the process of being updated to keep pace with changing medical research and practice. The 167-year-old Code, like the Declaration of Helsinki, continues to guide us in our practice so many years after it first was drafted.
Make your voice heard on changes to the Code by submitting your opinions through Jan. 15 via the online Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs Forum (log in) or by sending an email to the AMA with comments.
I’m proud of the AMA’s history as a leader in medical ethics, including being a founding member of the WMA, which was established just after the horrors of World War II. As part of the organization, we as physicians are represented in a global way—striving for the best possible health care for all, with no limits or boundaries.
