State Autonomy vs. Protection of the Global Community

The avian flu virus has many different forms around the globe, as a result of mutations for adopting to different environment. The Indian avian flu virus has been found to be the most deadly (mortality rate of 80%.) Therefore, making the Avian Flu virus found in India available to the international community is crucial for developing a vaccine that can prevent epidemic outbreaks such as the Black Death during the fourteenth century. India, however, has refused to share this information to the global community for a good legitimate reason: the vaccines being developed has already been contracted out to the developed nations – most certainly not India. In May, 2007, India finally adhered to the request for the Avian Flu virus genetic information, but only after WHO (World Health Organization) made the promise to the government of India that they will sponsor creation of a global stockpile of pandemic vaccines that will be made available to developing nations as well. WHO criticized such move by India, claiming that “the public health security of the whole world [was] at risk” as a result of the Indian government withholding the genetic information of the most deadly form of Avian Flu virus in the world. On the other hand, the Indian government called upon the Convention on Biological Diversity which articulates the states’ autonomy over genetic information.

This specific case raises the question of individual rights vs. protection of the public (something we have been discussing with relation to vaccination) on a global and national scale. Does the international regulatory body such as WHO have the right to make it compulsory for nations to share information crucial for advancing research for medicines that will be used by the countries? Does the question of autonomy vs. sacrifice for the greater good have a different bearing on the national/global level versus the individual/micro-societal level?

Source: Caplan, Arthur L., and David R. Curry. "Leveraging Genetic Resources or Moral Blackmail? Indonesia and Avian Flu Virus Sample Sharing." The American Journal of Bioethics 7(2007): 1-2.