India might soon clear infection studies on healthy people. But why are experts worried?

In July, the Indian Council of Medical Research introduced a policy document on controlled human infection studies – a first step in introducing a controversial mode of research that India has so far stayed away from.

Controlled human infection studies involve exposing healthy individuals to germs and pathogens in a controlled setting. This allows researchers to study a disease’s physiology and the body’s immune response faster than by observing the course of a natural infection.

Such studies are used to develop vaccines or treatment for the disease. If allowed in India, controlled human infection studies will find application in tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis infections.

Dr Roli Mathur, scientist in ICMR’s bioethics unit, told Scroll that in the last few years many developing countries have been considering infection studies to accelerate research for diseases endemic to low- and middle-income countries. “However, this is yet to begin in India due to the unique ethical issues and our socio-cultural context,” Mathur said.

So far practised in Western countries, controlled human infection studies come with several ethical risks. Several health activists have raised an alarm over its possible misuse in India, especially when underprivileged and vulnerable sections are involved. They have urged the regulatory body to make norms around...

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