Institutional declaration on the use of experimental animals
The Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa) positively values the policy of transparency in animal experimentation promoted by the Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain (COSCE), with the collaboration of the European Animal Research Association (EARA) and adheres to the Agreement approved on June 7, 2016.
At the IdISBa we are aware that animal research plays a fundamental role in the knowledge of the biological mechanisms that are involved in diseases and in the development of medical treatments. Without the use of animals, we would not have most of the medicines, antibiotics, vaccines and surgical techniques that are applied in human and veterinary medicine.
A fundamental part of the scientific work carried out at the IdISBa, which contributes to the improvement of people's lives, is made possible through the use of animals, both for the development of research projects of the IdISBa and for the realization of continuing education courses for resident doctors and deputies of the constituent hospitals of the IdISBa in order to update and improve surgical techniques. The main projects that are carried out at the IdISBa animal facilities are framed in research studies on cancer, congenital heart disease or mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.
The welfare of experimental animals is a primary issue for the IdISBa, as is the strict respect and compliance with current legislation on the protection of animals used in experimentation and other scientific purposes, including teaching. Our goal is to achieve the highest standards of animal welfare, not only from the point of moral responsibility over them, but also in terms of scientific quality associated with animal welfare. Our animal experimentation meets legal standards and is reviewed by an animal testing ethics committee, which promotes the use of alternative methods, the reduction of the number of animals used, and the refinement of experimental procedures. No research project that requires the use of animals can begin without the required ethical evaluation and final authorization by the respective competent authority.
The IdISBa is also responsible for ensuring that both the animal care staff and the researchers involved in experimentation have the necessary training and knowledge, and is committed to providing the necessary resources for the proper functioning and maintenance of the facilities, the maintenance, welfare and veterinary attention of experimental animals.
The IdISBa currently has launched several initiatives aimed at increasing Transparency in Animal Research, in particular has disseminated information notes in the media to inform the general public the conditions under which research is carried out that requires the use of animal models in its facilities and the benefits that the results obtained from it provide.
It is our objective to continue with these actions in order to increase transparency regarding our animal experimentation activities, as well as carry out new initiatives to keep the scientific community and the general public informed about the different improvements in procedures and good practices in this area.
It is the objective of the IdISBa to continue working for transparency in animal research by organizing open door days, with the aim of making known to the scientific community and society in general, the strict respect and compliance with the standards of good practices and the current legislation on the protection of animals used in experimentation and other scientific purposes that is carried out in the research carried out at the IdISBa.
For more information:
Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain