Compensation for organ donors: The National Organ Transplant Act forbids the offer of any “valuable consideration” in exchange for an organ, however it does allow for “reasonable payments” for expenses, housing and lost wages. In reality, seldom are these “reasonable payments” made and they are often viewed as unethical in the United States.  Moreover, organ donation often does not [...]

REACH: On Monday December 18, 2006, the European Union (E.U.) President, signed the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) bill into law. When it comes into effect in June 2007, the new legislation, known as REACH, will ban some of the most dangerous chemicals used in the E.U. and will require registration for 30,000 other [...]

GMOs: Since without mosquitoes, epidemics of dengue fever and malaria could not plague this planet, scientists are attempting to re-engineer the insects so that they cannot carry the diseases. They must create enough mutants to mate with wild insects and so that they may one day outnumber them. An altered organism on wings would be a [...]

The pharmaceutical industry is fighting to balance its need for profits with demands to provide AIDS medicines at affordable prices in poor nations. The issue has been raging around the world, from South Africa to Brazil to Thailand, where HIV/AIDS rates are high, but incomes are generally low.

Bristol-Myers charity promo sparks reaction

Thailand: Public Health Ministry [...]