Ethics and research in the history of malaria

Clinical research is absolutely necessary for the development of medical knowledge. However, progress of Medicine has not always been obtained respecting human rights. From 1880 onwards, after Laveran's discovery of the protozoan nature of malaria, the increase in knowledge on paludism has been remarkable. Much of the knowledge gained up to the middle of the twentieth century was based although on highly questionable experiments according to modem ethical standards in the fields of biology and phisiopathology, and specially in therapeutic clinical trials with antimalarial drugs.