By Lara Balick
On March 14th, Aamir Malik, a 27-year-old cattle trader from Pandoli village of Gujarat, India, reported to the police that he was allegedly cheated into selling his kidney to repay his debt. Malik had told his friends that he was looking for an interest-free loan to pay off his debt of Rs 1 lakh (~$1500). Malik claims that on February 12th his “friends” brought him “drugged and unconscious” to …

By Princess Chukwuneke
Surrogacy is a hotly debated topic in Europe. The general public currently awaits the results of the March 15th meeting held in Paris by the Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to discuss a draft report on “human rights and ethical issues related to surrogacy.” Whether or not this report was adopted is still unknown.
If the report …

By Princess Chukwuneke
On February 24th, 2016, Lindsey, a 26-year-old woman from Texas, became the first in the United States to receive a uterus transplant. Still in its early stages, the uterus transplant surgery is meant to assist women who hope to get pregnant but are unable to because they lack a uterus or possess a damaged one. According to the New York Times, it is estimated that 3-5% of women of childbearing …

Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) is dedicated to fostering public awareness and understanding of bioethical issues, and to exploring solutions to bioethical challenges.

Through its events and activities, which include an annual Summer School on Global Bioethics, GBI seeks to keep the international community, policy decision-makers, the media, and the general public informed and aware of important bioethical issues. Such awareness is essential for making informed decisions and fostering public debate. Using …

By Alexis Vaujany
The immune system can be one of the most powerful weapons against cancer. After several unsuccessful attempts, scientists have discovered a promising and effective way to guide the immune system to kill cancer cells. In fact, some advanced cancers have gone into complete remission. Unfortunately this type of procedure is not a “one size fits all” treatment of cancer. It cannot be used for all cancers as it is only …

By Rimah Jaber
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a standard procedure in several countries around the world. However, since 2000, IVF has been banned in Costa Rica despite an order to lift it by an international court. The country’s legislature and courts continue to delay the process after four years.
Although the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that countries lacking access to IVF violate people’s “right to private and family life” in 2012, Costa …

By Ellen Arkfeld
Recently, the committee of the Canadian parliament has recommended that the federal government make assisted dying legal for conditions including mental illness.  New euthanasia laws are being crafted because the Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting physician-assisted death is unconstitutional in Carter v. Canada last February.
A poll by Insights West has found that over three quarters of Canadians are in favor of the new euthanasia law. But those in …

By Princess Chukwuneke
Last Wednesday, the government task force for controversial issues in Sweden concluded that surrogate pregnancies should be banned with no exceptions. According to lead investigator, Eva Wendel Rosenberg, this decision was made to stop women from being directly or indirectly pressured into becoming surrogate mothers. She added that there are several risks of becoming pregnant and giving birth that must be considered.
Contrary to the task force’s decision, Sweden’s National Council …

By Princess Chukwuneke
At the start of 2016, China amended its one-child policy that had been in motion for 30 years. Perhaps it was because surrogacy had wormed its way into family planning among the richer members of the Chinese population, a concern for a vast majority of citizens who could not afford such a luxury. The amendment could have also been a response to China’s aging and increasingly male population. Whatever the case, …

By Maria Coluccio
In the TED Talk “We can now edit our DNA. But let’s do so wisely”, geneticist Jennifer Doudna talks about the rapidly developing field of gene editing technology and its serious ethical implications. A few years ago, Doudna created CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technology that has the potential to cure chronic genetic diseases. It works by identifying, cutting, and degrading specific harmful viral DNA.  Doudna explained how the process …