Mapeamento do modo de operação das comissões de ética no uso de animais no Brasil e as dificuldades encontradas

Abstract

Discussions about the use of the animal in experimentation have strongly contributed to the study of regulations capable of guaranteeing its use, when proven necessary, will guarantee the animal dignified treatment, ensuring its welfare. In the face of advances in science and technology, and at a time when rights and respect for animal life gained greater visibility, Law 11,794 / 2008 transformed animal welfare not only into an ethical and humanitarian issue, but also into a legal issue. The application of the law should not be impartial in relation to animal welfare and, in view of the requirements of the legislation regarding animal experimentation and in order to ensure that they are met within the established ethical standards, there was a need to create a ethics committee in the use of animals in every institution that carries out teaching and research activities involving animals, as an essential component for the evaluation, approval, control and surveillance of these activities. In view of the complexity required for its training, IACUC must be able to evaluate submitted protocols, as well as receive subsidies that enable adequate training to carry out this activity. The commission's responsibility does not end with the approval of the research protocol, when authorizing the realization of the protocol, it becomes co-responsible with regard to the ethical aspects of the research. The main objective of this work was to raise information regarding the operation of CEUAs in Brazil, so that we could answer the question of the effectiveness of this action as well as raise the difficulties encountered in the practice of the activities recommended in the legislation. The methodology used a questionnaire that was offered in an online format and through the executive secretariat of the CONCEA, forwarded to accredited institutions by the CIUCA.The results show that, despite Brazil having specific legislation that regulates animal experimentation, standardizing minimum necessary criteria is not yet a reality. By establishing a relationship between the content of the legislation and the way in which the commissions operate, we hope to a systematic uniformity that is capable of standardizing a minimum condition viable to provide a more efficient performance and aligned with ethical precepts.