Home » Bulletin 2003
Campaign for Medical Progress launches in the UK
A new alliance, set up to explain the case for medical progress and the benefits brought about by animal research, was launched in London in March. Founder members include academic funding agencies, companies involved in medical research, trade unions, medical research charities, and trade associations. The British government supports the aims of the Coalition for Medical Progress (CMP), and is working closely with it.
Until now, says CMP Director Philip Connolly, there has been no single voice speaking on behalf of all of those engaged in medical research in the UK. The coalition will make it possible for scientists and their employers to play a part in communicating with the public. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, told the Royal Society last year: "We cannot have vital work stifled simply because it is controversial. We need, therefore, a robust engaging dialogue with the public."
At the launch, CMP unveiled opinion research carried out by UK polling specialists MORI. The results showed that British public opinion appears to be swinging in favour of the use of animals in medical research.
For instance, the proportion identified as Conditional Acceptors - people who accept animal experimentation provided that certain conditions are met - increased from 84% in 1999 to 90% in 2002. People were asked whether animal experimentation was always, sometimes, or never justified, and their responses scored +1, 0, or -1 respectively. In the case of research on diseases such as AIDS, the average score jumped from 0.08 in 1999 to 0.29
in 2002.
However, asked to name an animal commonly used in experiments, 2% of respondents suggested the horse. 12% argued that the use of bacteria in medical research was unacceptable. In the light of this it was perhaps unsurprising that 39% tended to agree and 22% strongly agreed with the statement 'I would like to know more about animal experimentation before forming a firm opinion'.
On the regulatory system, 41% said that did not know very much about the rules governing animal experimentation, and 52% said they knew nothing at all. However, respondents trust in the regulatory system had improved since 1999, when 64% said that they had a lack of trust in the system, to 2002, when the percentage had decreased to 50%.
89% of respondents said that they found physical violence against people involved in animal experimentation to be unacceptable (as opposed to 1% who found it acceptable), and 83% disapproved of destruction or damage to property (as opposed to 2%). 94% disapproved of the use of terrorist methods.
Roger Lyons, General Secretary of the trade union Amicus/MSF, said: "The public has every right to question those who undertake animal research. It is heartening to know that while many people have concerns, they do not support the targeting of animal welfare specialists and scientists by extremists. After all, these people enable great health benefits for human and animal patients. We cannot afford to see high quality jobs driven out of the UK by a minority of extremists."
Philip Connolly said "We know the public can accept the need for research involving animals as part of the drive to better treatments. They also say they have little knowledge about how such research is undertaken and managed. The purpose of the Coalition is to help biomedical research to help itself through communication with the public and bridge that information gap."