Ethical problems faced in villages of rural Bengal while conducting researches on chronic diseases like diabetes.

ABSTRACT

India is facing an explosion of diabetes and related diseases. Health infrastructure in rural India is very poor. A large number of rural Indians are below poverty line. To overcome the problem of insulin resistance in rural India, the authors conducted studies with nutraceuticals and came across many sociocultural, socio-political and socioeconomic constraints to faithfully following ethical guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This paper deals with some of the constraints and it is strongly felt that the ICMR should review its guidelines in the context of the existing situation.