Declaration of Helsinki

Adopted in 1964 by the World Medical Association (WMA), the Declaration of Helsinki (DoH) was at that time the most extensive document offering ethical guidelines in conducting research with human subjects. Subsequent revisions to and interpretations of the DoH extended of its application to include identifiable human material or data in research, keeping up with the advances in biomedical research and the associated ethical issues that arose. The importance of the document derives from the international dimension and substantial additional requirements and principles to follow. In comparison with the Nuremberg Code, when the guidelines were a result of the military trials, the Declaration’s principles emerged from a recognized necessity to have a uniform established recommendation coming from the medical profession.