Assessment of the prerequisites for the establishment of an Animal facility at the School of Medicine, University of Namibia: comparison of the current situation with international standards and requirements, and with discussion of alternative options

Abstract

The School of Medicine (SoM) of the University of Namibia (UNAM) intends to establish an animal house for teaching and experimental research within its facilities. A number of rooms are dedicated for this purpose and partially equipped. This review investigates the feasibility of the project in the light of international standards for animal experimental settings, the prerequisites for the physical establishment, the technical installations, compliance to globally valid regulations of animal welfare, and the probability of getting reliable research outcomes from the given background. The identified current situation within the SoM is subsequently compared to the internationally accepted benchmarks for such institutions, and the principal features of the commonly followed guidelines are briefly listed. A selection of alternative methods to animal experiments is succinctly described and set in the context of the departments of SoM. However, the examination of the physical housing, technical equipment, required human resources and available infrastructure led to the conclusion that the intended use cannot be recommended since the relevant criteria are not met. Instead it would be advisable to construct a separate animal house based on recognized internationally valid standards. In the meantime, less costly non-animal state of the art methods could be introduced.