Animal research has become one of the critical elements of medical advances and scientific research over the years. In addition, it has been used as the basis for improving the way people understand different diseases and develop mechanisms through which patients can be helped to recover from complex conditions. Throughout the world, people are enjoying a better quality of life due to the advances that have been made in the field of medicine. Some of these outcomes are linked to the use of animal research to test medicine ( Weatherall et al., 2016 ). However, the continued use of animals in medical research has become a divisive issue throughout the globe. Medical animal testing has been a controversial topic throughout the world. The practice has attracted the attention of researchers, policy makers, and experts throughout the globe. On one end of the debate are those who believe that medical testing on animals is a legal and ethical issue. The supporters of the practice have argued that it is not possible to make significant advances in medicine without conducting medical research. Furthermore, they have stated that the advances that have been reported in the field of science and medicine have gone a long way in reducing formalities around the world. On the other end are those who argued that the practice should not be allowed. Furthermore, they have noted that the animal experiments amount to cruelty and should be abolished globally. While medical testing on animal has been done for a long time, it is an act that is morally and ethically wrong because it can harm the animals and reduce their quality of life.
Medical testing is a widely used experiment that causes harm to the animals. The complex tests that are done to develop new medicines and check the safety of products can adversely affect the quality of life of the animals which is not an ethically acceptable practice since there is no guarantee that it will always be done in a human manner ( ABPI, 2007 ). The process of experimental on the animals causes pain and makes it difficult for the animals to live a normal life. Those who oppose the use of animals in medical testing have stated that there is no responsible scientist who should be using the animals in their tests. The argument is based on the belief that the approach causes unnecessary suffering for the animals. It is undeniable that scientists have a significant role to play in improving the field of medicine. In addition, the scientists have been making significant strides to improve the wellbeing of communities around the world. However, this should not come at the expense of the wellbeing of animals. In the recent years, members of the bioscience community have also come up to state that animals should only be used in an ethical way. It is for this reason that nations such as the United Kingdom have developed frameworks that are used as the basis for regulating the way animals are used in animal studies. The United Kingdom passed the Animals Act of 1986 as the basis for setting the requirements that must be met before the animals are used in the acts. The passage of the bill is a clear indication that even governments know that the use of animals should be controlled. It is therefore prudent to stop the use of the medical animal procedures since it is a practice that is opposed even by some governments. Instead of focus on regulating the practice, the government should completely stop the usage of the models. In the last decade, there has been significant reduction in the number of animal procedures that are being done. In addition, there has been an increased call for stricter laws that can be used to minimize the procedures that are being done. One of the factors that has contributed to the trend is the adoption of the principles of reduction, replacement, and refining. These principles are critical to the kind of laws that are being passed in many countries around the world ( MORI, 2002 ). For instance, the United Kingdom came up with the National Center for Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animal Research to help in cubing the concerns related to animal tests. The organization has also been working to find ways through which they can reduce the number of animal studies that are being done by focus on new alternative techniques such as in vitro studies. Research and development reveal that the use of alternative methods of research can significantly lower the number of animals that are being subjected to medical research. However, the main obstacle revolves around the ability of the scientific to mimic the animal models though the alternative techniques. Some of the procedures that are done through animal medical research are not easy to replicate in any setting. As a result, scientists contribute to depend significantly on the animal models to carry out their studies. The reduction and refining efforts may not complete eliminate the number of animal procedures that are being done. In addition, there are scientists who may circumvent laws to be able to carry out their studies. To solve the issue completely, it is critical for the governments to create laws that will total illegalize the practice. Once the laws are enacted, then the governments will have a basis for protecting animals and ensuring that they are not used to carry out experiments.
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In some cases, it is not easy to prove the benefits that the animal tests will have on human beings. Therefore, it is not right to take the animals through a painful process without the surety that the results will be positive and beneficial. The primary objective for carrying out scientific studies is to gather information that can be used to deal with some of the complex medical issue that have been reported around the world. In other instances, the studies are done with the intention of testing the efficacy of some of the medicines that have been develop. The testing is necessary since it gives information that can be used as the basis for identifying treatments that can be used to manage disease. For instance, a number of investigations have been done in the last one year to find new methods that can be used in managing the current COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has caused significant deaths around the world. Moreover, more people are likely to die if the right management method is not determined through scientific research. It is against this background that the number of investigations being done are likely to increase in the recent years. The success of such investigations largely depends in the benefits that they bring to the targeted community ( BBC, 2018 ). For example, the investigations and studies that have been conducted in the recent years have yielded positive results and led to the creation of new vaccines that may improve the way the virus is being managed. In the case of animal studies, there have been concerns that some of the investigations have not yielded beneficial results. Some of the studies are just done to tests hypotheses that do not give beneficial results for human beings. Consequently, it is important to start thinking about the dangers that they are bringing to the animals without yielding positive results. In other words, it may not be prudent to subject the animals to torture and pain yet the investigations will not bring any kind of benefit.
The current procedures used when conducting the animal tests have not be refined in a way that reduces the harm to animals. Therefore, they should not be used to tests new medicine, especially when the benefits for humanity are not clear. In the last decade, medical practitioners have been working towards contributing to animal research. In addition, there has been an increased focus on ways of refining and improving the scientific studies that are conducted around the world. Recent surveys have shown that a significant number of doctors and medical practitioners believe that the animal studies need to be refined so that they can become effective. Furthermore, there is a need to enhance the quality of the studies so that they do not yield misleading results. When the results from the investigations are used in medical field, then it is not possible to justify the whole process of subjecting animals to harm. The idea of the three Rs are largely used to respond to the claims that the current animal tests are not reliable and effective. The three Rs refer to a group of principles that the scientists are required to follow when conducting animal model research. The first element of the framework is reduction which revolve around limiting the number of animals that are used in experiments. The process may entail improving the techniques used in experiments, enhancing the data analysis methods, and sharing information with other researchers ( RDS News, 2006 ). The second element is the refinement process. In this case, the focus is on refining the way the animals are cared for and rated. The process involves using less invasive methods, enhancing living conditions, and better medical care. Finally, there is the replacement idea which entail getting other techniques for conducting scientific research. Refinement may involve experimenting with the cell culture cells, adoption of computers, and conducting epidemiological studies. While the three concepts have offered new ways of improving animal modes, such studies are yet to achieve the desired level for protecting the animals. It implies that more animals will continue being used in studies, some of which do not entail using non-invasive methods.
Finally, medical studies that entail using animals should be stopped since they infringe on the rights of the animals. It is worth stating that the issue of the animal tests becomes a controversial issue when it is accepted that animals have rights. In cases where this is the position, then it is evident that the studies violate the rights of the animals. Therefore, it is a practice that is morally wrong since it violates the rights of animals. The possible benefits of perming the animal model studies tends to neglect the morality aspect of the experiments. In other words, it is a practice that is meant to generate scientific data without considering the moral aspect of the experiments ( RDS News, 2006 ). It implies that the experiments overlook the rights of the animals as attempts are made to focus only some of the positive results that may be achieved. The situation becomes worse when there is no guarantee that the results will be positive. Therefore, scientists should rethink about the manner in which they carry out the tests and find ways of protecting the rights of the animals.
The case for animal medical experiments is usually that they will generate beneficial results for humanity. In other words, the experiments are supposed to generate results that can be used to manage complex conditions. In such instances, it may be morally be acceptable to use few animals to find solutions that will provide a basis for solving complex medical conditions. The equivalent case against the practice is that the level of suffering of the animals that are used in the experiments is high to the extent that they do not provide moral justification. Some research organizations have been publishing information on the outcome of new animal research projects. For instance, the UK Home Office has been using the FOI act as the basis for publishing summaries on animal studies. The process entails offering public information on animal studies. In some cases, some organizations represent both the positive and negative outcomes that have been realized through animal testing. It is undeniable that the studies have opened up new ways for managing diseases and solving some of the medical issues that people face today ( RDS News, 2006 ). It is also undeniable that the tests can led to the identification of new methods for solving complicated biological and scientific issues. However, the results should not be used as the primary reason for taking other animals through painful procedures. Instead, the focus should be on creating new ways of conducting the scientific studies without involving animals. If this is not done, then the world is likely to witness a period that is characterized by increased torturing of animals in the scientific studies. The government should weigh the benefits and negative outcomes that are linked to the studies.
Conclusively, the subject of animal model studies has been a topic of discussion throughout the world. It is a practice that has been supported by some while also being opposed by others. Those who support the practice argued that it has been brining significant benefits to the medical community. In particular, it is regarded as a practice that has led to new discoveries that continue to improve humanity. However, there are serious concerns regarding the legal and moral elements of the practice. It appears that animal researchers tend to overlook the legal and moral issues that the concept may cause. From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that even though the animal models have been used to change medical practices, it is a practice that should be abolished since they are unethical and illegal.
References
ABPI (2007) Facts & Statistics from the Pharmaceutical Industry . London, UK: Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. http://www.abpi.org.uk/statistics/section.asp?sect=3
BBC. (2018). Experiment on animals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/using/experiments_1.shtml#:~:text=Against%20ani mal%20experiments%3A,be%20produced%20in%20other%20ways
MORI (2002). The Use of Animals in Medical Research. Research Study Conducted for the Coalition for Medical Progress . London, UK: MORI.
RDS News (2006) . GPs Back Animal Research . London, UK: Research Defence Society.
Weatherall, D., Goodfellow, P., Harris, J., Hinde, R., Johnson, L., Morris, R., Ross, N., & Tickell, C. (2016). The Use of Non-Human Primates in Research . London, UK: The Royal Society
