Ivano-Frankivsk State Medical University
Department of Pathophysiology
In August 2008, the Department of Pathophysiology at the Ivano-Frankivs'k State Medical University received technical equipment (two laptops, a projector), a rat model and various computer programmes and films.
Dr Corina Gericke from Doctors Against Animal Experiments and Prof. Ljubomyr Zayaz, Head of the Departemt of Pathophysiology at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ivano-Frankivs'k, are signing the agreement.
According to the agreement, the use of live or killed animals will be permanently stopped from 1 October 2008. 143 rats, 25 rabbits and 60 guinea pigs will thus be saved from a cruel death every year.
Dr Zinoviy Yashchyshyn, lecturer, and Prof. Ljubomyr Zayaz with the new notebooks and the projector in front of the computer shop in Ivano-Frankivsk.
These rats are still waiting to be killed in their rusty cages. Thanks to our project, cruel experiments such as inducing a heart attack in rabbits, intestinal obstruction and paralysis in rats or allergic shock in guinea pigs will no longer be carried out in future.
Control visit
The return visit to Ivano-Frankivsk State Medical University in January 2009 was a complete success. It turned out that the lecturers had replaced far more cruel animal experiments with films than agreed in our agreement. 470 animals a year are no longer tortured to death. They also took part in a nationwide competition for innovative technologies in university education - and won first place.
During the first visit of Dr. Corina Gericke and Dimitrij Leporskij in the summer 2008, the university proved to be a very difficult case. The pathophysiological animal experiments conducted by the students each year were so uncommon that it was difficult finding adequate humane teaching methods. We had bought a video projector and a laptop for the faculty, but there was still a lack of multimedia resources for teaching pathophysiology, in other words for depicting diseases and disorders. With the help of InterNICHE we finally found what we needed in the Belarussian universities of Minsk und Smolensk. In addition, the teaching staff produced a number of films themselves. We reject the production of new educational films if this means tormenting or killing just one animal, as we are convinced that there are sufficient teaching methods without any animal use. Many animal experiments could also be eliminated without needing to be replaced at all.
One of the films produced by the university itself demonstrates the effect of electric current on an unanaesthetised rat. This extremely cruel experiment that used to be conducted on 44 rats each year is no longer performed. Unfortunately, one animal suffered the torment to make the film.
Further experiments that were replaced:
- epilepsy in rats
- hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in rats
- paralysis in rats
- ileus (gastrointestinal blockage) in rats
- myocardial infarction (heart attack) in rabbits
- inflammations in rabbits
- anaphylactic (allergic) shock in guinea pigs
and more
All in all, 470 animals (365 rats, 60 guinea pigs, 45 rabbits) are no longer tormented to death each year, 240 more than contractually agreed on.
Unfortunately, it is still not possible to study without animal experiments at this university, as there are two further courses involving animal experiments, whose conservative teachers are not interested in modernisation.
Archive photo: Students are practising on a rabbit.
Prize for inovative education
Dean Ljubomyr Zayaz (right) showing Dimitrij Leporskij the winner’s certificate for the first place in a nationwide competition for innovative technology in university education, issued by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education.
Such an award is highly motivating, not only for the professors at Ivano-Frankivsk, but also for teachers at other universities.
The success at this university demonstrates how important the continuation of the project is. It is not only possible to directly save animals from suffering and death; the initiative also sows the seeds for a more humane attitude toward animals in general.