Clinical research in India needs to be seen as the social good that it is.  The first step in tackling this challenge is regularly getting the public to know why clinical trials are important for public health and to be enthusiastic about considering participation in clinical trials.  Indian society needs to consider how it can help advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

The ethics of promoting greater awareness of clinical research needs careful consideration in India.  While India has very different socio-economic parameters and the literacy rates are different from the western world, it is not just naïve but also irresponsible and patronizing for the intellectual elite to presume that relative illiteracy or peculiar socio-economic conditions make Indian public gullible and vulnerable to exploitation by their participation in clinical trials.  Apothecaries Foundation has conducted an extensive study which has provided eye-opening outcomes in this regard.
The awareness campaign should advocate consideration of participation rather than encourage participation.  Providing resources to help individuals make informed decisions about research involvement promotes understanding of the true benefits and risks of participation. It also increases awareness about the importance of clinical research.

 

Clinical research is vital to the State’s goal of enhancing health, lengthening life, and reducing the burdens of illness and disability. For instance, through clinical research we gain insights and answers about the safety and effectiveness of drugs and other therapies. Groundbreaking scientific advances in the present and the past were possible only because of the participation of clinical research volunteers, both healthy and ill. Clinical research requires complex and rigorous testing in collaboration with communities that are affected by the disease.