Scientific Sessions

Infectious disease research often involves vulnerable populations and high-stakes public health outcomes, making ethical considerations paramount. One of the primary challenges is ensuring informed consent, especially in low-resource settings where participants may lack access to adequate information or may feel pressured to participate. Researchers must navigate cultural, linguistic, and educational barriers to obtain genuine consent while also safeguarding participant autonomy. Additionally, privacy and confidentiality must be preserved, particularly when dealing with stigmatized diseases like HIV/AIDS or emerging infections with significant social and economic implications. Balancing individual rights with the collective need for disease surveillance and outbreak response can be difficult, especially during global health emergencies.

Another major ethical concern arises in the equitable distribution of benefits and risks. Research conducted in developing countries may not always translate into accessible treatment for local populations, raising questions about exploitation. The prioritization of global health interests sometimes overlooks local community needs, making it essential to ensure fair benefit-sharing and post-trial access to interventions. Furthermore, during epidemics and pandemics, there is often pressure to expedite research, which can risk compromising scientific rigor and participant safety. Ethical oversight must be strengthened in such scenarios to avoid hasty or inequitable practices. Overall, infectious disease research must carefully balance urgency with integrity, maintaining transparency, fairness, and respect for human rights throughout the research process.