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Best To Avoid Animal Experiments

Monday 24 May 2004

The Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke Association is most reluctant to fund research which involves the use of animals. It has welcomed the Government’s initiative today. However, NICHSA feels that the monitoring of animal experiments should not be undertaken by the Medical Research Council. “It has a vested interest and could not be perceived to be completely objective in this regard”, said Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of the NICHSA.

The Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke Association is most reluctant to fund research which involves the use of animals. It has welcomed the Government’s initiative today. However, NICHSA feels that the monitoring of animal experiments should not be undertaken by the Medical Research Council. “It has a vested interest and could not be perceived to be completely objective in this regard”, said Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of the NICHSA.

“Over the years attitudes to experimentation on animals have changed. This Association has now indicated that it is most reluctant to fund research into animals. So many different and developing techniques are now available to researchers. The availability of cell cultures and improved molecular methods has opened up new avenues.”

The Association funds research in the hospitals and universities of Northern Ireland into both the treatment and the prevention of chest, heart and stroke illnesses. This research over the years has led to much improvement in the prevention and treatment. *In the 20 years between 1980 and 2000, coronary heart disease deaths among Northern Ireland men under 75 years of age have been cut by 62%.

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