Ethics committees in western and central Africa: concrete foundations.
The involvement of developing countries in international clinical trials is necessary for the development of appropriate medicines for local populations. However, the absence of appropriate structures for ethical review represents a barrier for certain countries. Currently there is very little information available on existing structures dedicated to ethics in western and central Africa. This article briefly describes historical milestones in the development of networks dedicated to capacity building in ethical review in these regions and outlines the major conclusions of two workshops on this issue, which were held in September and October 2002 in Libreville, Gabon, and Paris, France. The workshops were the culmination of collaboration between the African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) and the Pan African Bioethics Initiative (PABIN). They produced an update on ethics organizations with regard to mission, function, activities, members, and contact people, in eight countries within the regions discussed. As a result of the commitment of mandated delegates, a further prominent outcome followed these workshops: the creation of national structures, where none existed before, dedicated to the ethical review of clinical trials.
Effa
Pierre
P
Massougbodji
Achille
A
Ntoumi
Francine
F
Hirsch
François
F
Debois
Henri
H
Vicari
Marissa
M
Derme
Assetou
A
Ndemanga-Kamoune
Jacques
J
Nguembo
Joseph
J
Impouma
Benido
B
Akué
Jean-Paul
JP
Ehouman
Armand
A
Dieye
Alioune
A
Kilama
Wen
W
D000350:Africa, Central; D000354:Africa, Western; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D002163:Cameroon; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000941:ethics*; D026724:Ethical Review; D028744:Ethics Committees, Research; D032984:Ethics, Research; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D012952:Societies