Against Medical Research in Poorer Countries

This paper critiques the Liberal take that research cannot be exploitative if participants volunteer to undergo it. I argue that voluntary consent is not enough to guarantee non-exploitation when the status quo is unfair to begin with. Given the inequalities that exist between HICs and LMICs, both parties are not bargaining from a level playing field. Medical research policy should employ a framework that accounts for these structural and transactional inequalities between LMICs and HICs. This paper will discuss a one price system as a viable solution. It would be effective in levelling the playing field as demand for research is highly inelastic.