African and European partners collaborate to foster ethics in medical research
27 January 2005
Four African countries in collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC), French Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), the World Health Organisation and the Department of Parasitology of the University Eberhard Karls (Tübingen, Germany) have developed a project to foster medical research ethics committees in Africa. The initiative - Networking for Ethics on Biomedical Research in Africa (NEBRA) – which is launched today in Paris - also intends to promote the integration of the African committees in the international debate on ethics.
The project will be implemented by the four African coordinating countries – Mali, Benin, Gambia and Gabon - and eleven African participating countries. Its main aims are to develop an understanding of ethical issues raised by research in these regions, to identify the people working in ethics review of research and to acquire a real understanding of their needs.
The first stage of the initiative will entail students from the fifteen participating countries conducting interviews in order to identify existing ethics review capacity and further needs in their countries. African and European supervisors will assist them in this work.
MRC Clinical Research and Ethics Liaison Manager, Dr Imogen Evans and François Hirsch, NEBRA co-ordinator said:
“NEBRA is a logical response to the needs expressed by African partners who want to participate in international medical research and attract medical research for their countries health priorities.
“Improved ethical practices will enable the participating countries to attract clinical research fulfilling international requirements in ethics in their regions. As a result the countries will benefit from the research which will lead to improved management of public health issues like Malaria, AIDS and Tuberculosis.”
ENDS
For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
The MRC Press Office
Tel: 020 7637 6011
Email: press.office@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
INSERM
Séverine Ciancia
Tel: ++ 33 1 44 23 60 86
Email: severine.ciancia@yahoo.com
Notes to Editors
The eleven participating countries are: Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a national organisation funded by the UK tax-payer. Its business is medical research aimed at improving human health; everyone stands to benefit from the outputs. The research it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and the academic world. MRC has funded work which has led to some of the most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. About half of the MRC’s expenditure of £450 million is invested in its 40 Institutes, Units and Centres, two of which are in Africa: one in The Gambia (involved in this initiative) and the other in Uganda. The remaining half goes in the form of grant support and training awards to individuals and teams in universities and medical schools.
About Inserm (French National Institute for Health and Medical Research)
Inserm's mission is to conduct research & support research enterprise in biology, medicine & health , and to uncover new knowledge that will lead to improved public health. As government-funded institute, Inserm is dedicated to transferring the latest findings of biological science for the better health of people. The institute has more than 360 laboratories throughout France and interacts closely with social or economical partners on a national and international level. http://www.inserm.fr
