The access to the achievements of science as bioethical topic

Abstract

In many forums has been claimed the need of establishing as a central topic in the agenda of the underdeveloped countries the equitable distribution of the benefits of science. Nowadays, the world is enjoying a remarkable process about science and technology progress. Nevertheless, benefits yielded from it concentrate in the North. The inequity in the distribution of benefits increases the gap between developed and underdeveloped countries, which ultimately causes greater dependence. This, besides being a political problem has also deep consequences for bioethics, which justifies UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Bioethics of 2005 referring to it repeatedly. The mercantile approach and privatization of knowledge strongly conspire against economic and human development in the South, infringing the standard of living of its people.