Council of Bioethics in Tajikistan

171 Council of Bioethics in Tajikistan Tajikistan covers an area of 143 sq km of which 93% is mountainous terrain. This leaves 7% of the livable territory for the population of more than 7million people. Tajikistan is primarily an agricultural country, exporting cotton, vegetables and fruit. The current scientific and technological evolution in the field of biomedicine is characterised by the growing importance of the role of universal ethical values relating to the protection of human rights and dignity. This tendency becomes particularly essential in the course of deep social and cultural changes that have been happening during the last decades in the post-Soviet era, particularly in Central Asian countries. The development and implementation of the new countries’ national policies in the field of ethics and bioethics by starting initiatives and consolidating activities in lawmaking, education, creation of the system for the ethical review and international cooperation is presently one of the topical issues. There are three primary agencies responsible for bioethics in Tajikistan. Tajik Academy of Sciences has the primary scientific work for the promotion of ethics in science and technology in Tajikistan, while the Ministry of Health and Tajik State Medical University (named after Abuali ibn Sino) cover ethical aspects of health research. Tajik Academy of Sciences established a Bioethical Committee after organising a meeting of leading scientists, medical doctors, teachers, and lawyers in 2007. This was approved by the President of TAS as the Council of Bioethics under TAS in 2008. The main tasks of the Council of Bioethics are to deal with education, biotechnology, and other related topics. The Council publishes manuals on how to conduct ethical review in medical research. It is also developing laws relating to biosafety and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as a range of advisory documents on bioethics and biotechnology. Asian Bioethics Review June 2009 Volume 1, Issue 2 171–173 U P D A T E C o u n c i l o f B i o e t h i c s i n Ta j i k i s t a n F i r u z a N a s y r o v a A s i a n B i o e t h i c s R e v i e w J u n e 2 0 0 9 Vo l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2 172 In cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Council reviews the ethical content of PhD theses in veterinary science and biology. A Medical Ethics Committee (MEC) under the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan was established in 2004. Professor Ahrorova Zuhra heads the MEC. The committee comprises leading specialists in ophthalmology, dermatology, gynaecology, psychology, pathophysiology and two lawyers. The MEC created, ratified and adapted such important documents as the Statement of MEC, and Clinical Practice and Laboratory Practice rules. It has prepared a draft of the law on protection of human rights and dignity, which now is under consideration of the Government of Tajikistan. A study of medical doctors conducted by MEC showed limited knowledge of patient and doctors rights. As a result, the organization of training and study is holding seminars for doctors, which is very important for Tajikistan and for MEC particularly. Working in Partnership The ethics of science and technology, and in particular bioethics, is one of Unesco’s main priorities. Unesco’s Almaty office and Tajikistan National Commission for Unesco are partners with Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan in the organization of conferences on bioethics, social debates on bioethics, bioethics education, etc. The Council of Bioethics under TAS has organized two conferences on bioethics issues held in Dushanbe during last two years. The first was in April 2006. This workshop, entitled, “Ethical Aspects of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering”, discussed a wide range of medical ethics issues including ethical aspects of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs); and Bioethics education in the universities. At the conference a resolution was passed suggesting that Tajikistan should establish a national bioethics committee consisting of scientists, medical doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. A further resolution was passed that would start bioethics course education at the Tajik State University for...