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Charles Kimwele, Duncan Matheka, Hope Ferdowsian. A Kenyan perspective on the use of animals in science education and scientific research in Africa and prospects for improvement. The Pan African Medical Journal. 2011;9:45 Key words: Animal Research, Experimentation, Education, Three Rs, Alternatives, Ethics, Kenya, Africa Permanent link: http://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/9/45/full Received: 05/04/2011 - Accepted: 16/08/2011 - Published: 25/08/2011 © Charles Kimwele et al. The Pan African Medical Journal - ISSN 1937-8688. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
A Kenyan perspective on the use of animals in science education and scientific research in Africa and prospects for improvement
Charles Kimwele1,2,&, Duncan Matheka3, Hope Ferdowsian4,5
1Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya, 2Africa Network for Animal Welfare, Nairobi, Kenya, 3Department of Medical Physiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya, 4Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C, USA, 5Department of Medicine, The George Washington University
&Corresponding author
Charles Kimwele, Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
Animal experimentation is common in Africa, a region that accords little priority on animal protection in comparison to economic and social development. The current study aimed at investigating the prevalence of animal experimentation in Kenya, and to review shortfalls in policy, legislation, implementation and enforcement that result in inadequate animal care in Kenya and other African nations.
Data was collected using questionnaires, administered at 39 highly ranked academic and research institutions aiming to identify those that used animals, their sources of animals, and application of the three Rs. Perceived challenges to the use of non-animal alternatives and common methods of euthanasia were also queried. Data was analyzed using Epidata, SPSS 16.0 and Microsoft Excel.
Thirty-eight (97.4%) of thirty-nine institutions reported using animals for education and/or research. Thirty (76.9%) institutions reported using analgesics or anesthetics on a regular basis. Thirteen (33.3%) institutions regularly used statistical methods to minimize the use of animals. Overall, sixteen (41.0%) institutions explored the use of alternatives to animals such as cell cultures and computer simulation techniques, with one (2.6%) academic institution having completely replaced animals with computer modeling, manikins and visual illustrations. The commonest form of euthanasia employed was chloroform administration, reportedly in fourteen (29.8%) of 47 total methods (some institutions used more than one method). Twenty-eight (71.8%) institutions had no designated ethics committee to review or monitor protocols using animals.
Animals are commonly used in academic and research institutions in Kenya. The relative lack of ethical guidance and oversight regarding the use of animals in research and education presents significant concerns.
