Um panorama do ensino de ciências em animais de laboratório no Brasil: aspectos legais e métodos substitutivos

Abstract

The importance of a multidisciplinary institution that trains highly skilled professionals, demonstrates the need for significant learning, recognizing the need for a broad set of skills that includes critical thinking and a global perspective. As a result of this perception, we identified the need for the dissemination of the disciplinary of Animais de Laboratório within the major universities. This is because, by focusing on its educational and learning processes, it encourages the formation of future professionals who will be responsible for animal welfare and bioethics. Experimental in vivo research has a long history and has yielded numerous benefits for both human and non-human species. Among these advantages, we can mention the discovery of vaccines, treatments, and knowledge of anatomical characteristics of various species. However, for many years, experiments were carried out without the necessary regulation. With the approval of Lei Arouca (11.794/2008) in Brazil, the creation and use of animals in research, education, and testing in all of the country's territory became subject to this law. In light of this, and with the goal of launching a more thorough examination of the landscape of curricular structures for health-related courses, such as veterinary medicine and science/biology licenciature, demonstrating into account the fact that few universities have such disciplinas as electives or requirements, the aim of this work is to provide an overview of the current situation of Science in Laboratory Animals in Brazil, and to assess the impact of the absence of this discipline in the curriculum of health/education courses. Keywords: CAL; Legislation; Substitute Methods; Teaching; University.