Medical scientists unceasingly work to find cures for human ailments. With advanced technology they are able to conduct their research through computer simulation. In some instances they do their tests on patients directly. There are, however, cases when their only option is to do it on animals. Some Foundations fund the continuous study for alternatives to using animals for medical research. Until a breakthrough is achieved in this area, scientists are left with no choice but to use animals. Animal rights activists are concerned about using animals to experiment on for cures to alleviate human suffering, and rightly so.
But should it be left at that and research abandoned for lack of better alternatives? Life-saving drugs have been developed through animal research like; antibiotics, insulin, vaccines and anesthesia. According to the Association of Medical Research Charities 2004, “medical advances made possible with animal research include: kidney transplants, replacement heart valves, polio vaccine, hip replacement surgery, heart bypass operations, drugs to treat mental illness, stomach ulcers, asthma, leukemia, to control transplant rejection and life-support systems for premature babies. ”
Cures for small pox have already been found. In such a case, less research is required, duplication of findings is avoided. Generally, animals cost more to use than the other options. For economic and ethical reasons, Foundations continue to sponsor studies to find alternatives for animal use. While the search is ongoing, it is a given that animals will continue to be used. Computers provide inadequate and inconclusive data because it can not replicate exactly the system of the human body. Moreover international law requires that medicine efficacy be tested on animals instead of humans.
At the rate that new diseases like AIDS, Mad Cow and Avian Flu are discovered as well as those related to genes, medical research has to continue. Animals come closest to humans in body composition and chemistry, so that animals by far still make the best guinea pigs to experiment on. Where they differ from each other is also useful in learning more about the disease being studied. There are diseases which both human and animals contract. Veterinarians use many drugs that were made for humans. The value and significance of using animals for medical research is undisputable.
In 2004, approximately “2. 7 million animals were used in research” compared to “over 500 million animals consumed as meat in the UK. ” (AMRC, 2005). It should likewise be noted that the chance of a cat killing animals or birds in a year is 13 times more than an animal used in research for 75 years. Only 7% of dogs are used in research compared to the number that are destroyed and abandoned. “Lots of different types of animal are used for medical research, from flies to fish and from mice to monkeys. Smaller animals like worms and flies are not included in the official statistics.
In 2004, 85% of experiments used mice, rats and other rodents. Less than 1% of experiments used dogs, cats, horses or monkeys. 7% of experiments used fish and 4% used birds. ” (AMRC, 2005) Medical research is as important as life itself. Be it to sustain life or to save life, it is a noble endeavor. It needs all the support and the means to continue. Man, in the natural order of things is paramount. God, the Creator, gave him dominion over all creation. It is not a choice of Man over Animal, but of Cure over Means.
Animals are “made to sleep” to spare them of pain, but just the same they are killed. Will we hold back or will we advance? Millions have already been saved by medical science, the best medicines have been developed and best procedures have been tried out successfully. Animals have been sacrificed for medical research for a far greater purpose.
References
AMRC. (2005, December 9). Different Animals Are Used. Why We Still Need Animals. The Relevance of Animal Research. Retrieved July 19, 2007 from http://www. amrc. org. uk/index. asp? id=94