Developing bioethics in developing countries.

Bioethics, the investigation of ethical issues in medicine, biology, and health sciences, is in vogue in the developed world. Television news often shows feature stories on debates over the proper uses of such new developments as embryonic stem cells or gene therapy, and newspapers elicit public comments on their Internet sites. Societal responses to these technological advances are mediated through bioethics agencies within governments, working alongside numerous scholars and interested nongovernment organizations. National bioethics commissions in over forty countries offer reports and opinions to the public, influential legislators, and public officials. Laws and regulations are widely debated and influence the direction of science and healthcare (1).