title: Stakeholders' engagement with Ebola therapy research in resource limited settings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa is the largest in history. As of February 18(th) 2015, 23,258 cases of EVD have been cumulatively reported from Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America resulting in more than 9,000 deaths. It is therefore exigent to develop prevention and treatment therapies for EVD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several new EVD treatments are in clinical development at this time. Based on lessons learned, four critical processes need to be implemented before clinical trials begin. First, all global EVD research need to be coordinated to promote data sharing and synergistic overlap, while reducing unnecessary duplication of efforts. The World Health Organization is well-placed to undertake such an endeavor. Second, governments of affected nations where trials are being proposed need to lead discussions regarding immediate access to any proven medications for epidemics. Also, governments need to leverage international resources to support and expand existing national expertise to jointly conduct high-caliber clinical research; and resources must be used to enhance local technical skills and expand existing personnel. Third, ethics committees must review protocols, monitor the research process, and work closely with research scientists to insure the ethical integrity of research throughout the trials. Fourth, community advisory boards (CAB) need to be formed, linked with existing community leadership structures and organized in conjunction with trial implementation. These community structures should work together with ethics committees to facilitate the study design, informed consent process, and study implementation. We must facilitate communication and mutual understanding between trial communities and research teams, and promote positive collaborations between all stakeholders engaged in EVD research. The community engagement process for EVD research is crucial to address myths and misconceptions, and to promote study volunteers' understanding of the research details. The collaboration between all stakeholders is crucial for continued long term partnership to address EVD outbreak and none of the stakeholders should be left behind in ongoing efforts to develop EVD therapies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health and Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. toyinukpong@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Morenike Oluwatoyin
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Folayan
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthy Communities Division of Clinical Sciences, UCR School of Medicine, 900 University Ave., Riverside, ᅟ, CA, 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haire
authors.affiliation: National Health Research Ethics Committee, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Aminu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakubu
authors.affiliation: Anthropology Department, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: UL-PIRE Africa Center, University of Liberia, Monrovia, 100010, Liberia.
authors.forename: Jemee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tegli
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000187:drug effects; D058872:Epidemics; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008507:Medically Underserved Area
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents