title: The Pan African Clinical Trials Registry: year one data analysis of the only African member of the World Health Organization Network of Primary Registries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prospective registration in a clinical trial registry is mandatory for all clinical trial research intended for publication in any International Committee of Medical Journal Editors member journal. With the launch of the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR) in September 2009, the first African member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Network of Primary Registers came into being as the only registry dedicated specifically to trials on the African continent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the usefulness of PACTR as a resource for information on clinical trial activity in Africa, and to provide data on the African clinical trial landscape after the first year of a dedicated registry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was extracted from PACTR on 18 August 2010 on diseases investigated, intervention types, trial locations, principal investigator locations, and registration dates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical trial registration is steadily increasing throughout the region, and there is evidence that the dedicated assistance of staff can facilitate further trial registration. An analysis of the country of origin of principal investigators shows that clinical trial work is increasingly being generated within the continent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the registry is in a nascent stage, its value as a resource can already be seen; by extracting data from the registry we can identify what trial work is being conducted in the region, where, and by whom, shedding light on the present trial landscape on the continent. PACTR is committed to increasing trial registration and awareness of the importance of registration, while also helping to harmonize national registry efforts across the African continent.
authors.affiliation: South African Cochrane Centre at the Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa. aabrams@mrc.ac.za
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: Nandi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Siegfried
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014944:World Health Organization