Human dignity at the Biennial Congress of the Maternal and Child Institute

The School of Bioethics highlighted the importance of informed consent and assent in vulnerable individuals with a presentation by Martha Patricia Hernández Valdez.

Anáhuac University Mexico participated in the Biennial Congress of the Maternal and Child Institute of the State of Mexico, held from August 18 to 22, 2025, in Toluca de Lerdo. This meeting brought together national and international experts to discuss the challenges of health and bioethics.

The Congress, held at the State of Mexico Convention Center, established itself as a privileged space for academic development, interdisciplinary dialogue, and the development of new perspectives for addressing challenges in the field of maternal and child health. Over the course of five days, specialists in medicine, ethics, public policy, and education shared experiences, research, and proposals for improving healthcare from a comprehensive perspective.

Within this framework, our School of Bioethics had a very significant participation through Martha Patricia Hernández Valdez, who presented the conference entitled "Informed Consent and Assent in Vulnerable People: Ethics, Protection, and Dignity."

Her presentation sparked great interest among the audience by addressing a crucial topic: respect for and protection of human dignity in contexts where people may find themselves in situations of particular vulnerability. She explained that both assent and conscious acceptance by minors or patients with limited capacity, as well as informed consent and full and conscious authorization, are essential ethical pillars in the doctor-patient relationship and in the conduct of clinical research.

She emphasized that in settings where there are social inequalities, cognitive limitations, or contexts of dependency, the ethical obligation of healthcare professionals is even greater. "It's not just about complying with a legal requirement, but about ensuring that the person is treated with respect, autonomy, and humanity," she noted.

Her participation not only allowed for a deeper understanding of theoretical and regulatory aspects, but also opened a space for practical reflection on how to strengthen consent protocols, the need for ongoing training for healthcare personnel, and the importance of promoting an institutional culture that protects those most in need.

The participation of the School of Bioethics in these types of international forums represents a valuable contribution, as it highlights the centrality of ethics in healthcare processes and reinforces Anáhuac University Mexico's commitment to training leaders capable of making responsible, informed, and humane decisions in the field of healthcare.

These meetings highlight the importance of bioethics as a cross-cutting discipline that not only accompanies medicine but also enriches it by placing the dignity of the human person at its center. Hernández Valdez's presentation was recognized for its clarity, depth, and ability to encourage critical reflection among the physicians, researchers, and students in attendance.

In this way, we reaffirm our mission to promote the construction of a solid ethical culture, projecting leadership on national and international stages and consolidating our role as an academic benchmark in the training of professionals who seek to transform society through science and values.