Editorial

Fifty Years at the Forefront of Ethical Guidance: The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki

Authors: Ramin W. Parsa-Parsi, MD, MPH, Rosemary Ellis, MEd, Urban Wiesing, MD, PhD

Abstract

In June 1964, the General Assembly of the World Medical Association (WMA) approved a set of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Named after the city in which it was first adopted, the Declaration of Helsinki quickly gained international significance and has since become one of the flagship documents of the WMA. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Helsinki and the importance of this document is more apparent than ever before.

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