The annual report of the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Belgium (TA) shows that biomedical institutions are becoming much better at communicating with the public about their use of animals.
The report, published last week, assessed the efforts of the 17 signatory institutions of the TA – from both public and private biomedical research – using a survey which questioned them on their communications activities in 2022.
The most noticeable results of improved openness and transparency were:
All but three of the institutions 82% (14 out of 17) have a publicly accessible statement on the institution’s website, which explains its involvement with animal research. The three institutions that do not have a statement are working hard to provide one on their respective website.
Three quarters of the institutions (13/17) produced internal communications to staff and students, including newsletters, other publications and talks and presentations about the use of animals in research. Among the good examples of openness were an article by EARA member Orsi Academy on animal training models, and detailed website content about animal research from EARA members, KU Leuven and the University of Antwerp.
EARA executive director, Kirk Leech said: “This report shows that by working together, biomedical institutions in Belgium can improve the way they explain why they use animals in research and its importance, but also assist each other to become more open and transparent.”
Read more about Transparency Agreements.