Human rights, ethics and the medical profession

Abstract

"In this paper we try to sketch out the major ethical challenges, failures and complexitis in implementig ethical medicine in ties of politial and social turmoil – but also in more stable ties. We begin with the aftrmath of Nazi medicine in the fist half of the 20th century. The behaviour of the Nazi doctors included crimes against humanity that were also found in other states and politial systems, including democracies. Receiving much less publicity (and virtually no accountability), the medical experiments carried out on a smaller scale by Japanese doctors during World War II taught also painful lessons. Other countries have also experienced genocide though with less medical involvement. But breaches of bioethics have also been documented in societis and instiutins not afflted by war or by genocidal government policy. We should thoroughly reflct on the situatins depicted here, which occurred during the Nazi regime and elsewhere even in more stable ties, to help make sure they are never repeated."