Emancipation in the struggle for equality in research involving human volunteers

Abstract

This manuscript presents as a case study the most controversial aspects of a research conducted in Guatemala (1946-1948), sponsored by the United States Public Health Service in which participants were intentionally infected with Treponema pallidum. The analysis of changes in the 2008 Declaration of Helsinki and the still insufficient adherence to UNESCO´s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights emphasizes the importance of applying internationally accepted ethical standards for human volunteers to prevent unethical research. It concludes that the involvement of scientists and activists is crucial to achieve internationally accepted ethical standards to be equally applied throughout the world, avoiding the risks of double standards, and also that egalitarian participation in research and fair distribution of its benefits will be an important step towards universal access to good quality healthcare for all people.