RESOLUCION-8430-DE-1993.PDF (84.75 KB)
Resolution 8430, 1993 of the Colombian Ministry of Health, establishes scientific, technical and administrative norms for investigation in the health field. Title V of this resolution regulates the biomedical research on animals.
This resolution requires that the dispositions set forth in it, as well as the Statute of Animal Proteccion (Ley 88, 1989), must be followed when researching animals. Under this resolution, animals must be treated as sentient beings and researchers must take care of the animals and treat them appropriately, avoiding or minimizing any discomfort, anguish and pain. Animals kept for biomedical purposes must be kept under the best life conditions, and, if possible, under the supervision of veterinarians with experience on lab animals. This resolution recognizes that as there is not enough research on animal pain perception, so researchers should presume that a procedure that might cause pain to humans might as well cause pain to other vertebrate species.
Other requirements that are worth mentioning include that animals must be appropriately sedated or anesthetized complying with accepted veterinarian practices when the procedures performed on them or might cause more than a momentary or minimal pain or anguish. Animals must be sedated when they undergo painful procedures and surgical procedures. Chemical agents paralyzation cannot replace sedation. Animals must be painlessly euthanized by the end of an experiment or when considered necessary if they are suffering from chronic or severe pain, anguish, discomfort or disability that cannot be mitigated.