Current Challenges in Women’s Health Care and

Medical Research

7 December 2011

Cairo

Orio Ikebe

UNESCO Cairo Office

Overview of my presentation

• What is Bioethics Network on Women’s Issues in the Arab Region?– History of the network– Where do we stand?

• Structure of this conference• Expected Outcome of the meeting

Bioethics Network on Women’s Issues in the Arab Region

• November 2010 Brainstorm meeting with several experts in

the region and Egypt (organized by UNESCO Cairo and RDIC-BEST)

Draft mission, draft objectives, name of the network has been discussed (unfortunately, it was not followed up due to the political situation in Egypt in early 2011)

Bioethics Network on Women’s Issues in the Arab Region

• May 2011Blog of the Network

http://bioethicsnetwork.wordpress.com/ - call for joining the network

– Open discussion on draft mission and objectives– Identify topics to be addressed in the network– Post articles and comments on the related topics

• December 2011 First conference

Why a network on women’s issues in the Arab Region?

• Concept of life and reproduction are the most controversial issues: Reflection on cultural and religious aspects are important

• Universally agreed principles of bioethics may have different interpretations in different cultural context (informed consent, right to know and not to know)

• Women’s rights and dignity need to be respected in medical care and research

Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and

Human Rights (1997)

International Declaration on Human Genetic Data

(2003)

Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human

Rights 　 (2005)

Article 6 Consent1. Any preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic medical intervention is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent of the person concerned, based on adequate information….

Expert Meeting on Legal and Ethical Issues of Human Embryo Research

12 – 14 February 2008Cairo

Mapping of Bioethics Regulations

-17 selected Arab countries Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, U.A.E. and Yemen

(September 2007 to June 2009)by UNESCO Cairo Office

Conduct survey on national regulations

1. Human reproductive and therapeutic cloning2. Embryonic Stem Cell research3. Genetic test4. Human Genome and Gene Analysis5. Research Involving Human Subjects6. Organ Transplant7. Assisted Reproductive Technologies8. Pharmaceutical Research9. Medical Practice10. Abortion

Objectives of the Network

• Enhance well-being of women in the Arab World in relation to medical treatment, health care and research.

• Promote exchange of information and connect individuals as well as institutions working in the concerned fields to join their efforts.

• Support research projects, promote awareness raising, and education, fund raising, etc.

Structure of the meeting

• Session 1: learning from the experience of existing similar network at the global level (Feminist Approach to Bioethics) and work of RDIC-BEST

• Session 2: Listening to the report from the region (identify common issues and differences in the region, what are the current situation surrounding women in the region, suggestions for the network, etc.)

Structure of the meeting

• Session 3 and Session 4: Discussion on the network (mission and objective, structure and function, how to involve experts and institutions, future workplan)