Experience of Research Ethics Committees in Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Woldeamanuel, Yimtubezinash; Abay, Solomón Mequanente; Ashuro, Akililu Alemu; Berhe, Derbew Fikadu; Degafa, Tseday Tilahun; Munung, Nchangwi Syntia; Tangwa, Godfrey B.; Karbwang, Juntra; Abdissa, Alemseged

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1829038/v1

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

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“…The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted many activities across the world, including research regulation [9]. Some Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in Africa made quick adjustments [4] to their operations to respond to the pandemic by rapidly reviewing Covid-19 research protocols for implementation [10]. The KEMRI SERU shifted to electronic processes leading to a reduction of protocol review and approval timelines.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the research portfolio and approval turnaround time at the Kenya Medical Research Institute

Kebenei,

Cheruiyot,

Msee

et al. 2024

IJME

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Background: The Covid-19 pandemic led to unprecedented impact on many sectors globally including research. We assessed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the research portfolio, and on the approval turnaround time for research protocols submitted to the Scientific and Ethics Review Unit (SERU), at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). Methods: We compared research protocols submitted between October 01, 2019 and March 31, 2020 (Period 1), to those submitted between April 1 and September 30, 2020 (Period 2). A document review tool was used to extract data from the 198 research protocols reviewed and approved over the two periods. Results: In the two periods under review, the single largest percentage of protocols (89/198, 45.4%) involved infectious and parasitic diseases, and the single largest percentage of study designs was cross-sectional (75/198, 38%). Before the pandemic, the median time taken to review KEMRI-linked protocols was 87 days and for non-KEMRI linked protocols it was 121 days. During the pandemic, approval turnaround time dropped for both KEMRI and non-KEMRI protocols to 66 days and 92 days, respectively, due to the streamlined processes at the KEMRI SERU. Conclusion: The research portfolio was minimally affected by the pandemic. The adoption of email submission, and faster-than-usual processing and review protocols during the pandemic reduced the approval turnaround time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the research portfolio and approval turnaround time at the Kenya Medical Research Institute

Kebenei,

Cheruiyot,

Msee

et al. 2024

IJME

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Perceptions of policymakers and ethicists on ethical considerations in the conduct of research during disease outbreaks in Nigeria

Yakubu,

Makinde,

Saxena

et al. 2024

Wellcome Open Res

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Background There is a dearth of literature on the perspectives of stakeholders from countries in Africa on the institution of a research culture as part of a holistic system of pandemic preparedness and response. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of policymakers, representatives from Research Ethics Committees (RECs), and international bioethics experts on the ethics of conducting research during infectious disease outbreaks in Nigeria. Methods We conducted structured interviews with six policymakers actively engaged in disease outbreak response. The interview themes included systems and structures for research, local researcher competency, regulatory oversight, study types, ethical review approaches, and integrating research into outbreak response. We further engaged 12 participants including REC members from Nigeria and Liberia, international bioethics experts, and study co-investigators in a structured discussion to appraise and expand on themes identified during the interviews at a 2-day meeting in December 2018. We also held two virtual consultations afterwards. The findings from these processes were synthesized to develop a comprehensive report. Results Participants stressed the significance of conducting research during disease outbreaks to understand causal factors, evaluate public health measures, and inform future prevention and treatment strategies, and identified the need for clear ethical guidelines for RECs during outbreaks. Participants proposed a sliding scale for prioritizing categorized studies, emphasizing immediate solutions over future-focused research. Discussants proposed a "systems approach" to ethics review, emphasizing interdependence, governance structures, communication infrastructure, effective communication with policymakers, and a funding structure. Conclusion Conducting ethical research during disease outbreaks requires a comprehensive, context-dependent approach, involving stakeholders, and ensuring robust ethical oversight through proficient RECs. The proposed "System Approach" offers a model for sustainable and effective ethics review during outbreaks, fostering locally relevant and socially valuable research while prioritizing the well-being of research participants and communities.

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Experience of Research Ethics Committees in Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 2 publications

References 17 publications

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the research portfolio and approval turnaround time at the Kenya Medical Research Institute

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the research portfolio and approval turnaround time at the Kenya Medical Research Institute

Perceptions of policymakers and ethicists on ethical considerations in the conduct of research during disease outbreaks in Nigeria

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