Every year on April 24, the world celebrates the Day for the Protection of Laboratory Animals. The purpose of this day is to draw the attention of the world community to the moral and ethical problems of conducting laboratory research and experiments on live animals that experience pain, fear, discomfort, and other suffering.
📍Animals of different species are used for experiments. Most often, rats, mice, primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, and frogs are used as objects of experimentation. Flies, worms, and other insects are also used. Most of these animals are specially bred for experiments or transferred from animal shelters, and some wild species are captured for these purposes from natural conditions.
As early as 1959, three basic principles of animal research were developed:
🐭 Replacing animal research methods with methods that exclude the use of animals (e.g., computer modeling methods) if this allows achieving the same research results. At the same time, methods of conducting research without the use of animals should be given preference.

Favored methods that allow for the acquisition of relevant information from fewer animals or more information from the same number of animals.
Improving methods that alleviate or minimize potential pain, suffering, and debilitation of animals and improve the welfare of animals used in research.
The national legislation of Ukraine operates with the concept of “experimental animal” and allows the use of these animals in scientific experiments, biological testing, and educational process only if there is no possibility to replace them with other alternative methods and objects, and only if there is a permit for experimental research on an animal. In addition, procedures that pose a risk of injury to animals or cause acute or prolonged painful irritation are performed only under conditions of anesthesia.
📍 It is forbidden to involve animals that do not tolerate captivity, confined spaces, or training in experiments. It is also forbidden to deprive animals of the ability to make sounds surgically and to use traumatic methods when taking cells from animals.
📍However, despite these legislative norms, the animal somehow experiences pain and suffering, and its entire life is spent in the rhythm of experiments and interventions in the body, which leads to further death or euthanasia.

⚡️ It should be noted that on September 01, 2021, the sculptural composition “The Phenomenon of Health Sciences” was unveiled on the territory of the National University of Pharmacy in preparation for the 100th anniversary. The Rector of the National University of Pharmacy Alla Kotvitska noted that “this sculptural composition symbolizes the gratitude of mankind to laboratory animals for their contribution to scientific discoveries, and was the first in Ukraine. Laboratory animals have been ideal assistants to scientists for many decades. Today, the scientific community is rethinking approaches to scientific research, starting to apply the latest technologies: bioengineering, three-dimensional modeling, cell cultures.”
⚡️ The National University of Pharmacy joins the celebration of the important event and offers to view posters submitted by students, teachers and researchers from Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Lithuania. To view the works and awards of the participants, please follow the link https://biochem.nuph.edu.ua/vsesvitnij-den-zahistu-laboratornih-tvarin/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0KrCX3rr1zhmYYMJpBGZKGMeANvJOtGG13lXLB7L3Si-0M2GYl6oy3zVw_aem_AWqdBQybXv_OsjTIy7pwLKB9Dzl4tL_kP-Pif7tjCvycpoCRkeTWWKhrX4Niu5JU4gCPxMtScGKSaHpcPTcuvAV8 .