Over the last 25 years, HIV has spread from a few widely scattered locations to become a truly global challenge. High rates of prevalence in certain countries – particularly those in India and Pakistan – mean that almost every business with local operations is affected in some shape or form via:
• Their workforces – from junior employees to senior managers
• Their consumer base – through depopulation, decreased economic activity and decreased disposable income
• The communities in which they operate – through contact with local people, contractors and service providers, as well as expectations that locally-operating multi-national companies should be taking action against HIV/AIDS.
A multinational drug company has approached the Indian government with a plan to cure HIV/AIDS. It says it has developed a prototype drug that it wants to put in the water supply of a select number of large factories in order to conduct a mass trial. The company says it is 90% sure this is a cure for HIV/AIDS but it needs mass data.
The drug company says the drug carries no risk but for such a large-scale trial informed consent is impossible. The drug company also wants access to the health records of all empoyees, in the interest of the trial and the public good. The company says this is the only way they can be sure the drug really works.
What shoud be done? Do you agree or disagree with the proposal?
It is proposed that the Indian government should agree to the secret trial