Bioethics Workshop Proposes National Ethical Guidelines for Human Research The Ethical Review Committee and the Bioethics Group of AKU organised an international workshop on 'Ethical Issues of Health Research in Developing Countries' in July 2001. Over 100 participants from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Thailand attended this week-long international workshop, which was conducted in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health, Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC) and Indian Council for Medical Research. This was the first workshop of its kind in Pakistan and it marked a very important national and regional initiative towards the development, improvement and strengthening of the capacity and quality of ethical review process for research involving human subjects in the country and the region. The workshop specifically addressed the growing issues about the exploitation of research subjects in third world corporations and multinational concerns based in developed countries. Participants from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Thailand at the international workshop on Ethical Issues of Health Research in Developing Countries. The participants discussed and deliberated on all aspects of ethical issues pertaining to health research with a special focus on informed consent, standards of care and reproductive health research - all contentious issues in the developing world. The workshop included a special session on Islam, ethics and culture, where Islamic scholars, ethicists, sociologists and scientists discussed the integrated relationships between these basic tenets of Muslim society. The final day was devoted to a joint workshop between PMRC and the national delegates for the development of a draft document on national ethical guidelines. The primary organisers of this workshop were Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta from AKU and Dr. Tasleem Akhtar of PMRC. The workshop consisted of detailed discussions on several aspects of development of national guidelines for ethical conduct of research.  The plan envisaged further discussion of draft guidelines and recommendations at national and provincial levels amongst all stakeholders by a process of consultation and eventual adoption as National Ethical Guidelines for Research. The participants recommended the development of a National Bioethics Commission, constituting both national and provincial ethical review committees, which was accepted by the delegates of PMRC. There was also consensus on sustaining this effort at different forums across the country with the aim of developing a national and regional bioethics network. The primary organisers of the workshop were Dr. Aasim Ahmed, Associate Professor of Medicine and Chairman of AKU's Bioethics Group; and Dr. Asad  Jamil  Raja,  Associate Professor Surgery and Chairman of AKU's Ethical Review Committee. Commenting on the achievement of the workshop, Dr. Aasim Ahmed said, "AKU has been a leader in promoting formal  ethical review of medical research in Pakistan and the region. The ultimate purpose of this workshop was to raise awareness of this process in our environment and based on the endorsement of PMRC, I am satisfied that this objective has been achieved."