INTHE4111 – Medical Research Ethics in Developing Countries

Course content

This course introduces the norms guiding medical and health care research applied to implementation of research projects in poor and low-income countries. It discusses also controversial questions of maintaining ethical standards and “standard of care”, respect for human rights, justice, exploitation and how to provide safeguards for patients and informants.

The course has been developed in cooperation between The Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo and The National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics. It received support from the Ethics Programme to develop the teaching modules. Dr Ahmed Bedru Omer from The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was given a scholarship to adapt and finalize the course to the context of developing countries.

The course content is authored by Dr. Ahmed Bedru Omer and Prof. Knut Ruyter, and has been revised in 2012 by Prof. Jan Helge Solbakk.

Learning outcome

Upon completion of this course, the participant would:

  • understand the central events of the development of health research ethics that influenced the ethical standards to protect research participants
  • know the main international guidelines
  • know the ethical principles and be able to interpret and use them in research practice
  • know the responsibility of a researcher when involving human subjects
  • be attentive to how to include vulnerable groups in research
  • be able to discuss ethical concerns when doing research in a developing country
  • understand ways to protect human participants during the implementation of a study
  • know what is needed to gain approval from an ethical review board

Admission

Students enrolled at the M.Phil in International Community Health programme will get first priority to the courses. The deadline for register in Studentweb and apply for courses is February 1.

Students enrolled in other Master's degree programmes at the UIO can, on application to inthealth-studieinfo@helsam.uio.no, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

External applicants, not already enrolled as a student at UIO, are welcome to apply. Please email inthealth-studieinfo@helsam.uio.no if you want admission to this course. You will have to provide the following documentation:

  • A completed Bachelor’s degree or a period of study comparable with a Norwegian Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution. Applicants with foreign education, please refer to the country list
  • A minimum grade point average (GPA) of C (in Norwegian scale) or equivalent from the specialization in your degree.
  • A language requirement documented by one of the tests/exams below:
    a) Passed examination in English foundation course (140 hours/5 periods per week) in Norwegian upper secondary school with a minimum grade of 4 (or an equivalent grade from a Nordic upper secondary school) or alternatively passed examination in English from second and/or third school year, or
    b) An internationally recognised English language proficiency test.
  • The applicants must have a specialization either within health sciences or social sciences.

Note: all documents must be official certified copies

Read more about admission for international applicants

Teaching

The cou