Departures from the Design: Unethical Practices in Experimentation of Chloroquine and Unscientific Treatment-Seeking Behaviour for Malaria in Muheza District, 1980-2000

Abstract

Unethical practices in the experimentation of the chloroquine drug for its safety and efficacy in the treatment of malaria were prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. In Tanzania, unethical testing of chloroquine, which was the first-line treatment for malaria was widespread between 1980 and 2000. Despite these unethical experimentations leading to deaths, physical and psychological problems on patients, historians have overlooked their role in promoting unscientific treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria. This paper  utilized a qualitative research approach drawing from both primary and secondary sources. An analysis of these sources justifies that some researchers from the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) at the Amani Centre did not adhere to ethical standards in the experimentation of chloroquine on human subjects in Muheza District. The findings also demonstrate that unethical experimentation of chloroquine resulted in health problems for patients, contributing to the local people’s unscientific treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria. The paper concludes that unethical practices in chloroquine experiments created distrust among the local population, which could hinder new research projects in drug testing or disease outbreaks in Tanzania.