There is considerable concern about the use of animals in scientific research, and all too often it is easy to lose sight of the advantages that have been generated through this work with animals.

Behind the scare stories and myths there lies an ever growing number of successes and advances in the field of human medicine. For many years, humans have been benefited from the healthcare advances that animal based research has achieved.

For example, here is a list of the average number of operations performed in the UK in a year:

• 3,000,000 operations under general anaesthetic
• 90,000 cataract operations
• 60,000 joint replacements
• 13,000 coronary bypasses
• 10,000 pacemakers implanted
• 6,000 heart valve repairs or replacements
• 4,000 heart defects corrected
• 2,500 corneal transplants
• 2,000 kidney transplants
• 400 heart / lung transplants

None of these operations or the techniques used during them would have been possible without previous animal research. It is likely that many of us will come into contact with someone who has benefited from these advances. The contribution that animals have made to human wellbeing is immense.

Advances continue to be made. Key-hole surgery, organ transplantation, skin grafting and the latest research into the prevention of genetic diseases are all benefiting from animal research.

It is certain that any unnecessary reduction in the amount of research would have serious consequences for future research into human illness and wellbeing.