Abstract
Unethical practices in sleeping sickness drug trials conducted in the Uyui District of Tanzania from 1964 to 2005 resulted in physical and psychological disabilities among participants and contributed to the social exclusion of its women participants. Although these practices are understood to have caused disabilities, existing studies have overlooked their contribution to the social exclusion of women. Drawing from both primary and secondary sources, this article treats the impact of such practices as a window to examine the nature and dimensions of social exclusion of women with disabilities and how these women responded to social exclusion at the grassroots level. This paper concludes that the Tanzanian government should prevent unethical practices in drug trials by enforcing formal guidelines and regulatory frameworks for medical research. These guidelines outline how research should be planned, reviewed, approved, conducted, and monitored to protect the rights, dignity, safety, and welfare of participants. The significance of this article lies in its ability to analyze power and inequality in medical research, document the social exclusion of women with disabilities, highlight the agency of these women, and link past medical practices to current medical concerns. The paper aims to raise awareness among the local population about the effects of unethical practices in medical research and their contribution to the social exclusion of women with disabilities in Tanzania.
Recommended Citation
Machangu, Hamisi M.
(2026)
"The Local Outsider: Sleeping Sickness Drug Trials, Social Exclusion, and Responses of Women in the Uyui District of Tanzania, 1964-2005,"
Journal of International Women's Studies: Vol. 28:
Iss.
1, Article 13.
Available at:
https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol28/iss1/13