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World Congress
for Freedom of Scientific Research
the newsletter
|
Number 3, August 2009
- Restriction on assisted reproduction in Croatia. Croatia’s Parliament has recently approved a controversial law on fertility treatment. It sounds to be very similar to the Italian Law 40/2004. Among others it prohibits the cryoconservation of embryos created for reproductive purposes; it provides the conscientious objection for the physicians responsible for reproductive clinical care and the opportunity to know their biological parents for children born after donation by anonymous donors. Some Croatian patients’ associations contacted the “World Congress”, complaining that the new legislation is restrictive of citizens’ equality and potentially damaging women’s health, as the Italian experience has proved to be and some recent Italian Court’s sentences have finally acknowledged. Luca Coscioni Association and the Nonviolent Radical Party are fully supporting any Croatian association, patients and physicians requiring advice and help for their self-determination.
- New York Stem Cell Committee approves payments for eggs. Last June the New York Empire State Stem Cell Board approved the use of State funds to compensate women who donate eggs to create embryos for stem cell research (read more). The decision came soon after the US National Institutes of Health had launched an open consultation for the purpose of developing final Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research. The State of NY decided to go in a different direction since Obama’s administration finally decided that research on hESCs is only eligible if they have been derived from human embryos created using in vitro fertilization for reproductive purposes, no longer needed for this purpose, donated by individuals who sought reproductive treatment and by documenting that no payments, cash or in kind, were offered for the donated embryos.
- “Stem cell is serious science”. Barbara Forrest (Department of History & Political Science, Southeastern Louisiana University, USA) wrote a two-part article on her experience of the last meeting of the World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research and of the people she met in Brussels like Prof. Cattaneo and Charles Sabine. She thus endorsed their campaign for freedom of scientific research and cure. Prof. Forrest made a point about the fact that her State of Louisiana outlawed the public funding of stem cell research last Spring.
- 90 scientists worldwide support legal costs for stem cells research in Italy. They responded to the appeal launched by Luca Coscioni Association in concert with professors Cattaneo, Cerbai and Garagna, to raise funds aimed at covering part of the legal expenses of the three Italian scientists appealing against the Italian government’s decision to arbitrarily exclude human embryonic stem cells from an 8-million euro fund for stem-cell biology (read the chronology of the action). Since the beginning of the appeal (July 7) 6.869,79 euro (around 9.788 USD) have already been raised (see the full list of subscribers).
- Italy ok's abortion pill despite church opposition. Read Reuters quoting Silvio Viale, gynecologist and Member of the Board of Directors of Luca Coscioni Association.
News in brief:
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