Bioethics Development in Africa: The Contributions of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee

The International Bioethics Committee (IBC) of UNESCO was created in 1993 to provide leadership and influence the culture of bioethics in science and medicine and to ensure that human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected. In the last two decades, the IBC has contributed immensely to the development of Bioethics in Africa by supporting the establishment of National Bioethics Committees, strengthening the capacity of these committees, training teachers in bioethics and providing ongoing direction in addressing bioethical issues in the life sciences. Africa is also represented on the membership of UNESCO-IBC and contributes to the global IBC agenda. Africa has a rich diversity of cultures and the growth of bioethics in Africa is varied as there are few trained bioethicists and few institutions of higher learning that teach bioethics. Inadequate resource mobilization to fulfill the bioethical agenda, slow progress in terms of bioethics education in Africa and the lack of a vibrant culture of bioethical discourse are among the challenges. In Africa, it is important to also engage the public in bioethical debates.