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Mumba N, Njuguna P, Chi P, Marsh V, Awuor E, Hamaluba M, Mauncho C, Mwalukore S, Masha J, Mwangoma M, Kalama B, Alphan H, Wambua J, Bejon P, Kamuya D, Kapulu MC. Undertaking Community Engagement for a Controlled Human Malaria Infection Study in Kenya: Approaches and Lessons Learnt. Front Public Health 2022; 10:793913. [PMID: 35570883 PMCID: PMC9099019 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.793913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human infection studies (HIS) involve deliberately infecting healthy volunteers with disease-causing pathogens under controlled conditions. These studies are "controlled" by way of using specific types of pathogens, including dose, and the availability of emergency medical facilities to research volunteers. Most HIS involve diseases whose treatment is known and are done to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics such as vaccines, to address emerging and existing infectious diseases. Traditionally, HIS have been conducted primarily in high-income countries (HICs) but are now increasingly being conducted in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). In LMICs settings, HIS are likely to raise concerns among various stakeholders including participating populations and regulatory bodies, that are unfamiliar with this type of research. Deliberately infecting a healthy individual with a disease-causing pathogen seems to go against the normal practice of medicine of "do no harm". Such types of studies can give rise to increased rumors and jeopardize research participation in study activities, including non-HIS research. Community engagement can be one approach to address particular issues that HIS studies raise through meaningfully engaging with communities, where views and voices inform the conduct of HIS studies. In addition, engagement can inform the ethical conduct and acceptability of HIS studies in LMICs settings and provide opportunities for sharing information, listening to, and responding to concerns and views from potential participants, and the larger community in which the study would be conducted. Despite community engagement being an important aspect to consider, very few published and gray literature cover the types of approaches that have been used, and lessons learnt in engagement for HIS. This article outlinesthe community engagement approaches that were used to engage stakeholders and communities for malaria HIS-controlled human malaria infection (CHMI), undertaken in Kilifi, Kenya. It outlines the engagement activities across the research cycle, from activities conducted during protocol development, to planning, and implementation of the study. We discuss the challenges experienced, lessons learnt, and provide some recommendations for engagement around HIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noni Mumba
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Patricia Njuguna
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,PATH Centre for Vaccine Innovation and Access, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Primus Chi
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Vicki Marsh
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Awuor
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Mainga Hamaluba
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cynthia Mauncho
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Salim Mwalukore
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Johnson Masha
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Mary Mwangoma
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Betty Kalama
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Hassan Alphan
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Juliana Wambua
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Philip Bejon
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Dorcas Kamuya
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa C Kapulu
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Chi PC, Owino EA, Jao I, Bejon P, Kapulu M, Marsh V, Kamuya D. Ethical considerations around volunteer payments in a malaria human infection study in Kenya: an embedded empirical ethics study. BMC Med Ethics 2022; 23:46. [PMID: 35443642 PMCID: PMC9019790 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-022-00783-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Infection Studies (HIS) have emerged as an important research approach with the potential to fast track the global development of vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases, including in low resource settings. Given the high level of burdens involved in many HIS, particularly prolonged residency and biological sampling requirements, it can be challenging to identify levels of study payments that provide adequate compensation but avoid 'undue' levels of inducement to participate. Through this embedded ethics study, involving 97 healthy volunteers and other research stakeholders in a malaria HIS programme in Kenya, and using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observations during and after a malaria HIS, we give a grounded account of ethical issues emerging in relation to study payments in this setting. While careful community, national, international scientific and ethics review processes meant that risks of serious harm were highly unlikely, the levels of motivation to join HIS seen could raise concerns about study payments being too high. Particular value was placed on the reliability, rather than level, of study payment in this setting, where subsistence livelihoods are common. Study volunteers were generally clear about the study aims at the point of recruitment, and this knowledge was retained over a year later, although most reported experiencing more burdens than anticipated at enrolment. Strict study screening procedures, regular clinical and laboratory monitoring of volunteers, with prompt treatment with antimalarial at predetermined endpoints suggested that the risks of serious harm were highly unlikely. Ethical concerns emerged in relation to volunteers' attempts to conceal symptoms, hoping to prolong residency periods and increase study payments; and volunteers making decisions that compromised important family relationships and personal values. Our findings support an interpretation that, although study volunteers were keen to join the study to access cash payments, they also paid attention to other features of the study and the general clinical research landscape, including levels of risk associated with study participation. Overall, our analysis shows that the ethical concerns emerging from the study payments can be addressed through practical measures, hinged on reducing burdens and strengthening communication, raising important issues for research policy and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Primus Che Chi
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
| | - Esther Awuor Owino
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Irene Jao
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Philip Bejon
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Melissa Kapulu
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Vicki Marsh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dorcas Kamuya
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Fernandez Lynch H, Darton TC, Levy J, McCormick F, Ogbogu U, Payne RO, Roth AE, Shah AJ, Smiley T, Largent EA. Plumbing the Depths of Ethical Payment for Research Participation. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:W8-W11. [PMID: 33689566 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1895364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
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