Challenges to biobanking in LMICs during COVID-19: time to reconceptualise research ethics guidance for pandemics and public health emergencies?

Abstract

Biobanking can promote valuable health research that may lead to significant societal benefits. However, collecting, storing and sharing human samples and data for research purposes present numerous ethical challenges. These challenges are exacerbated when the biobanking efforts aim to facilitate research on public health emergencies and include the sharing of samples and data between low/middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). In this article, we explore ethical challenges for COVID-19 biobanking, offering examples from two past infectious disease outbreaks in LMICs where biobanking activities contributed to the perpetuation of global inequities. We focus on how the ethical imperative to promote the common good during public health emergencies can conflict with protecting the interests of biobank participants. We discuss how conducting biobank research under a waiver of informed consent during public health emergencies is ethically permissible, provided guidance is in place to prevent biopiracy and exploitation of vulnerable communities. We also highlight the need for biobank collaborations between LMICs and HICs to promote capacity building and benefit sharing. Finally, we offer guidance to promote the ethical oversight of biobanks and biobank research during the COVID-19 pandemic or other future public health emergencies.

Biobanking in LMIC settings for infectious diseases: Challenges and enablers

“…Ethical and legal frameworks : Finally, the last two decades have seen a slow but consistent development of legal and ethical frameworks for biobanking in LMICs in general, with infectious diseases biobanking being a constituent part of that effort [12] , [13] . However, this aspect is only in its very first steps, and still requires not only the training of ethical boards and researchers on appropriate ethical and data governance of biobanking (e.g., in the different consent types, and current data protection requirements), but also a communication with the wider public so that strong bonds are formed based on trust [14] .…”

Biobanks in the low- and middle-income countries of the Arab Middle East region: challenges, ethical issues, and governance arrangements—a qualitative study involving biobank managers

“…Biobank managers from the other countries in our study did not harbor similar concerns with international data sharing. Commentators have stressed that global sharing of samples and data should be a priority [ 12 , 43 ]. Also, underutilization of biospecimens with potential collaborators can inevitably impact the sustainability of biobanks.…”

International Efforts and Next Steps to Advance COVID-19 Vaccines Research and Production in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

“…Sample sharing in the Ebola epidemic is a good example of this issue. Due to biosafety concerns about handling highly infectious Ebola samples, scientists in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia were unable to access the biomaterials required for their research [20]. Access to biological materials and key knowledge, however, is not sufficient as many LMICs experience serious infrastructure challenges that diminish their production capacity, and their vaccine production often does not meet GMP requirements.…”