Declaration of Helsinki ( Back )
Ethical Priciples for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects

The World Medical Association has developed the Declaration of Helsinki as a statement of ethical principles to provide guidance to physicians and other participants in medical research involving human subjects. It is the duty of the physician to promote and safeguard the health of the people. The physician's knowledge and conscience are dedicated to the fulfillment of this duty. In medical research on human subjects, considerations related to the well-being of the human subject should take precedence over the interests of science and society.

Basic Principles for all Medical research

  1. It is the duty of the physician in medical research to protect the life, health, privacy, and dignity of the human subject.

  2. Medical research involving human subjects must conform to generally accepted scientific principles, be based on a thorough knowledge of the scientific literature, other relevant sources of information, and on adequate laboratory and, where appropriate, animal experimentation.

  3. Appropriate caution must be exercised in the conduct of research which may affect the environment, and the welfare of animals used for research must be respected. 4. In any research on human beings, each potential subject must be adequately informed of the aims, methods, sources of funding, any possible conflicts of interest, institutional affiliations of the researcher, the anticipated benefits and potential risks of the study and the discomfort it may entail. The subject should be informed of the right to abstain from participation in the study or to withdraw consent to participate at any time without reprisal.

To see the full Declaration of Helsinki Click Here.