The Caribbean Bioethicist

Articles

Bioethics and You!

Do you have a clear understanding of what Bioethics is about? Why should you care about Bioethics? How might it affect you?
If you do not know the answer to all of these questions, then read on!

Experimental drugs and compassionate use

This article was published in the Newsletter – BioethicsCaribe by Dr. Derrick Aarons. It addressed the use of experimental drugs and clarified what ‘experimental use’ means in the true scientific context. The article explains the concept of clinical trials, the fair selection of research participants, the use of scarce resources, and matters of patient autonomy, informed consent, and appreciating relative risk.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Caribbean Countries

This article was published in the Newsletter of the International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO by Dr. Derrick Aarons. It addressed the miniscule availability of Covid-19 vaccines in the Caribbean in April 2021, and the need for a moratorium on patents to allow all vaccine manufacturers worldwide to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines for the benefit of countries in the global South.

Bioethics, Health, and the Environment: Some ethical concerns in the Caribbean

This article was published in the Journal of RedBioetica UNESCO by Dr. Derrick Aarons. It focuses on the effects of environmental pollution in some countries of the Caribbean, and makes recommendations regarding human life and sustainable development.

Challenges of Conflicts of Interest in the Caribbean: An Ethical Concern

This article was published in the Caribbean Medical Journal by Dr. Derrick Aarons. It examines some ethical dilemmas posed by conflicts of interest at the individual, institutional, and national levels, and provides an algorithm for their resolution.

Driving while drunk!

This article was published in the Jamaica Observer newspaper by Dr. Derrick Aarons. It provides details on how many glasses of alcohol will cause men and women to fail a breathalyzer test, and recommends how to avoid such harm.

Need to regulate health research in the Caribbean

This article was published by Dr. Derrick Aarons in the BSEC Newsletter to increase awareness and lobby for the implementation of laws to protect participants when they agree to be involved in research in the Caribbean. No legal protection currently exists!
The legal regulation of research as well as research ethics are important because the human subjects of research may be harmed. Further, not all risks can be predicted in advance, hence laws should be written to ensure compensation when research harms occur.