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Reviving Human Research in Costa Rica
Author(s) -
Householder Michael,
SolanoLópez Ana Laura,
MuñózRojas Derby,
Rivera Suzanne M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ethics and human research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.353
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2578-2363
pISSN - 2578-2355
DOI - 10.1002/eahr.500004
Subject(s) - human rights , multinational corporation , legislature , political science , supreme court , law , public administration
Costa Rica is a small developing nation in Central America with a well‐regarded universal health care system and a strong human rights tradition. In the latter part of the twentieth century, it became a popular site for clinical trials funded by multinational pharmaceutical companies. In light of concerns about ineffective oversight and alleged research abuses, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court passed a moratorium on all biomedical studies involving humans. This moratorium was in place between 2010 and 2014, when the Legislative Assembly passed a new national law to protect participants’ rights and welfare. This case study reviews the history of human research protections in Costa Rica and provides recommendations for how Costa Rica can move forward responsibly as a leader in human research for the region.