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| GE Free
New Zealand in Food & Environment, 15th December
2005
BioEthics Council Backing for Xenotransplantation is Premature
Any decision to allow xenotransplantation at this stage of scientific
knowledge risks ignoring the fact that it is highly experimental, and should
be the subject of much broader public debate than has taken place so far.
The BioEthics Council is premature in backing the use of animal-to-human
transplantation when its relatively small-scale dialogue with the community
shows a range of major concerns remain. Many people may feel the Council has
failed to properly reflect their concerns in giving its backing for the
process, potentially undermining the Council's credibilty with the wider
community.
There are also doubts about the format of the Biothics Council's consulation
process which included information- sessions during weekdays when most
people would be unable to attend, and which required people to attend a
second follow-up session. The process resulted in only a few hundred
submissions.
"There is concern that the way the BioEthics Council report is being covered
in the media may mislead people into believing such techniques are proven
safe and effective, when this is not true," says Jon Carapiet from GE Free
NZ in food and environment.
As well as the tortuous ethical issues around how humans may end up using
and abusing animals in pursuit of medical treatments, there is also a
Pandora's box of safety issues. This includes the fact that human and animal
viruses are able to remain dormant for many years before symptoms manifest
themselves.
New Zealand and the world's scientific community are a long way from being
able to meet the fundamental conditions under which the Council believes
xenotransplantation on a case-by-case will be acceptable.
Looking at the current level of understanding of the range of ethical,
medical, public-health and animal welfare issues, it would be wrong for New
Zealand to rush into legislation allowing such experiments.
It is likely to take many years before the necessary research, monitoring
and other administrative mechanisms can give decision-makers confidence that
they will not be allowing something that in time proves to be harmful to
patients, to the public and to the pursuit of ethical practice in
high-technology medicine.
ENDS
Jon Carapiet 0210 507 681
HUMANS MAY GET ANIMAL ORGANS - 14 December 2005
The way is open for animal body parts to be transplanted
into humans after a high-powered report to the Government.
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