Abstract

MONTEFUSCO-PEREIRA, Carlos Victor; ALMEIDA RODRIGUES, Nora Ney; TEIXEIRA CARDOSO, Ademarina  and  DA COSTA CASTRO, Fátima Maria. DEVELOPING A RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE: THE CASE OF MANAUS HEALTH SYSTEM. rev.latinoam.bioet. [online]. 2013, vol.13, n.1, pp.64-73. ISSN 1657-4702.

The growing complexity of biomedical investigation with human beings generates many conflicts regarding ethical values that add up to the difficulty of fulfilling all the requirements imposed by the legislation on bioethics. Manaus Health City Office (MHCO), in North Brazil, had already had a long time exchange program with local universities which was not managed by a specific sector, so research projects were authorized without further analysis of feasibility, relevance, or a follow-up of its actions within the local health system. In 2008, MHCO created the Research Ethics Commission (RECO). So, is MHCO a field for research? We ought to say yes inasmuch as from the local health system stem subjects and services completely characterizing the health and the city itself. From 2008 to 2011, the number of submitted projects intended to be implemented inside the health establishments was 282, concerning undergraduate and graduate papers. MHCO represents an action of the local government in monitoring research activity in the local health system and, at the same time, catches the attention of public employees as researchers of their own environment of work. This action helps to identify internal problems and shows the impression Manaus society has in relation to the health system.

Keywords : Bioethics; Government; Human Research; Ethics Committee; Healthcare.

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