Topic: The Ethics of Experimental Treatments
Country: Congo
Delegate Name: Monique Taylor
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Congo position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
The recent outbreak of Ebola affected many African countries, and caused serious loss of life. The urgency of this outbreak made finding a cure even more time-sensitive than ever before. But the process of testing and mass-producing a treatment or cure takes much too long to be approved for human trial and application. The rate of progression for the disease is much faster than it’s possible to put together a cure. Because these outbreaks have been found within the area of the Congo River since the 1970’s, the Democratic Republic of the Congo feels comfortable with the current application of experimental treatment options.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been very closely related to the outbreaks of Ebola in Africa, and its people have been strongly affected. The country was one of the first to begin using a form of experimental treatment to treat those suffering, first attempting convalescent therapy, which saw very limited success, then by using transfusions of whole blood by those who had been infected and survived. Seven of the eight treated by this method survived. Because this contagion has been returning again and again within the country, the Democratic Republic of Congo does not have the medical capabilities to continuously combat the disease, which makes the spread even easier. Due to these time constraints, experimental treatments have become much more common, but all the while the issue of informed consent arises. In the situation of Ebola, many who are being treated are deep into the throes of the disease, and are unable to clearly decide for themselves. Because of this, the World Health Organization should consider at what point medical officials can no longer offer these experimental treatments as an option.
