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Magdalena Guraiib M, Ross AL, Frewer A, Sprumont D, Shamsi Gooshki E, Dzenowagis J, Alois Reis A. Oversight of Dual-Use Research: What Role for Ethics Committees? Health Secur 2024. [PMID: 38838255 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2023.0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Guidance Framework for the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences addresses the governance of biorisks, including dual-use research, for countries. It emphasizes engaging multisectoral stakeholders such as governments, scientific bodies, health and research institutes, standard-setting organizations, funding bodies, and others. Ethics constitutes a key component of the framework. Given the high social impact of such research and the importance of trust, risk, and benefit, national ethics committees could make a valuable contribution by providing ethical guidance in the decisionmaking process. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of national ethics committees in the context of governance and oversight of dual-use research at the national level. We conducted a landscape analysis of the activities of ethics committees in dual-use research oversight. We also searched the WHO database on National Ethics Committees for publications related to dual-use research and/or misuse of life sciences research and gathered additional documentation from national ethics committees websites and through author contacts. Results showed that in the context of the wide range of oversight mechanisms for dual-use research in countries, national ethics committees have contributed to guiding policy and assessing dual-use research risks in only a limited number of countries. Recommendations from those countries include establishing a multistakeholder, coordinated oversight mechanism at the country level; strengthening international linkages to guide, harmonize, and reinforce national and international efforts; and involving ethics committees as an expert resource in the governance and oversight process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Magdalena Guraiib
- Maria M. Guraiib, MPH, is a Technical Officer, in the Research for Health Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anna Laura Ross
- Anna Laura Ross, PhD, is Unit Head, Emerging Technology, Research Prioritisation and Support Unit, in the Research for Health Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Frewer
- Andreas Frewer, MD, MA, is a Professor for Ethics in Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Dominique Sprumont
- Dominique Sprumont, DrJur, is a Professor, Institute of Health Law, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, and President of the Research Ethics Committee of the Canton of Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki
- Ehsan S. Gooshki, PhD, MD, is an Associate Professor, Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and a Lecturer, Monash Bioethics Center, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joan Dzenowagis
- Joan Dzenowagis, PhD, is a Member, World Health Organization Ethics Review Committee, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Alois Reis
- Andreas Reis, MD, MSc, is Co-Unit Head, Health Ethics and Governance Unit, in the Research for Health Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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Orievulu K, Hinga A, Nkosi B, Ngwenya N, Seeley J, Akanlu A, Tindana P, Molyneux S, Kinyanjui S, Kamuya D. A scoping review of ethics review processes during public health emergencies in Africa. BMC Med Ethics 2024; 25:63. [PMID: 38778293 PMCID: PMC11110293 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-024-01054-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic forced governments, multilateral public health organisations and research institutions to undertake research quickly to inform their responses to the pandemic. Most COVID-19-related studies required swift approval, creating ethical and practical challenges for regulatory authorities and researchers. In this paper, we examine the landscape of ethics review processes in Africa during public health emergencies (PHEs). METHODS We searched four electronic databases (Web of Science, PUBMED, MEDLINE Complete, and CINAHL) to identify articles describing ethics review processes during public health emergencies and/or pandemics. We selected and reviewed those articles that were focused on Africa. We charted the data from the retrieved articles including the authors and year of publication, title, country and disease(s) reference, broad areas of (ethical) consideration, paper type, and approach. RESULTS Of an initial 4536 records retrieved, we screened the titles and abstracts of 1491 articles, and identified 72 articles for full review. Nine articles were selected for inclusion. Of these nine articles, five referenced West African countries including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, and experiences linked to the Ebola virus disease. Two articles focused on South Africa and Kenya, while the other two articles discussed more general experiences and pitfalls of ethics review during PHEs in Africa more broadly. We found no articles published on ethics review processes in Africa before the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and only a few before the COVID-19 outbreak. Although guidelines on protocol review and approval processes for PHEs were more frequently discussed after the 2014 Ebola outbreak, these did not focus on Africa specifically. CONCLUSIONS There is a gap in the literature about ethics review processes and preparedness within Africa during PHEs. This paper underscores the importance of these processes to inform practices that facilitate timely, context-relevant research that adequately recognises and reinforces human dignity within the quest to advance scientific knowledge about diseases. This is important to improve fast responses to PHEs, reduce mortality and morbidity, and enhance the quality of care before, during, and after pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kingsley Orievulu
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
- School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
- Centre for Africa China Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Alex Hinga
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Busisiwe Nkosi
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- University of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo, USA
| | - Nothando Ngwenya
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Janet Seeley
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Global Health and Development Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Anthony Akanlu
- West Africa Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Paulina Tindana
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Sassy Molyneux
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Samson Kinyanjui
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dorcas Kamuya
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Cuellar-Pompa L, Rodríguez-Gómez JÁ, Novo-Muñoz MM, Rodríguez-Novo N, Rodríguez-Novo YM, Martínez-Alberto CE. Description and Analysis of Research on Death and Dying during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Published in Nursing Journals Indexed in SCOPUS. NURSING REPORTS 2024; 14:655-674. [PMID: 38525696 PMCID: PMC10961780 DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14020050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM To offer an overall picture of the research published regarding the different aspects of death and dying during the COVID-19 pandemic in journals covering the field of nursing in the Scopus database. DESIGN bibliometric analysis. METHODS The metadata obtained were exported from Scopus for subsequent analysis through Bibliometrix. Using the VOSviewer co-word analysis function, the conceptual and thematic structure of the publications was identified. RESULTS A total of 119 papers were retrieved, with the participation of 527 authors. The publications were found in 71 journals covering the nursing area. The main lines of research revolved around the keywords "palliative care" and "end-of-life care" in regard to the ethical, psychological, and organizational challenges faced by the health professionals who cared for these patients. CONCLUSION The results obtained offer a range of data and images that characterize the scientific production published on this topic, coming to the conclusion that, due to the multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to the experience of death, care, and accompaniment in the dying process, bibliometric maps improve the comprehensive understanding of the semantic and conceptual structure of this field of research. This study was retrospectively registered with the OSF Registries on the 14 March 2024.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Cuellar-Pompa
- Instituto de Investigación en Cuidados del Ilustre Colegio de Enfermeros de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Calle San Martín, 63, 38001 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - José Ángel Rodríguez-Gómez
- Departamento de Enfermería, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Sección de Enfermería y Fisioterapia, Universidad de La Laguna, Sta. María Soledad, s/n, Apartado 456, C. P., 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.Á.R.-G.); (M.M.N.-M.); (N.R.-N.)
| | - María Mercedes Novo-Muñoz
- Departamento de Enfermería, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Sección de Enfermería y Fisioterapia, Universidad de La Laguna, Sta. María Soledad, s/n, Apartado 456, C. P., 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.Á.R.-G.); (M.M.N.-M.); (N.R.-N.)
| | - Natalia Rodríguez-Novo
- Departamento de Enfermería, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Sección de Enfermería y Fisioterapia, Universidad de La Laguna, Sta. María Soledad, s/n, Apartado 456, C. P., 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.Á.R.-G.); (M.M.N.-M.); (N.R.-N.)
| | - Yurena M. Rodríguez-Novo
- Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Carretera General del Rosario, 145, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Carlos-Enrique Martínez-Alberto
- Escuela de Enfermería Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Carretera General del Rosario, 145, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
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Adebamowo CA, Callier S, Akintola S, Maduka O, Jegede A, Arima C, Ogundiran T, Adebamowo SN. The promise of data science for health research in Africa. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6084. [PMID: 37770478 PMCID: PMC10539491 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41809-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Data science health research promises tremendous benefits for African populations, but its implementation is fraught with substantial ethical governance risks that could thwart the delivery of these anticipated benefits. We discuss emerging efforts to build ethical governance frameworks for data science health research in Africa and the opportunities to advance these through investments by African governments and institutions, international funding organizations and collaborations for research and capacity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clement A Adebamowo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Research, Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Shawneequa Callier
- Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington DC, USA
- Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Simisola Akintola
- Department of Research, Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Business Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oluchi Maduka
- Department of Research, Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ayodele Jegede
- Department of Research, Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Temidayo Ogundiran
- Department of Research, Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Sally N Adebamowo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Research, Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Rahimzadeh V, Ambe J, de Vries J. Enhancing Reciprocity, Equity and Quality of Ethics Review for Multisite Research During Public Health Crises: The Experience of the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition Ethics Working Group. THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS : A JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS 2023; 51:258-270. [PMID: 37655583 PMCID: PMC10881265 DOI: 10.1017/jme.2023.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we report findings from a commissioned report to the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition on approaches to streamline multinational REC review/approval during public health emergencies. As currently envisioned in the literature, a system of REC mutual recognition is theoretically possible based on shared procedural REC standards, but raises numerous concerns about perceived inequities and mistrust.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennyfer Ambe
- SAFE MOTHER AND CHILDHOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (SAMOCRI), NIGERIA
| | - Jantina de Vries
- DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN AND THE NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
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Mernyk A, Zinchenko OV, Sydorenko OO, Chevychalova ZV. LEGAL REGULATION OF THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSPLANTATION IN UKRAINE. WIADOMOSCI LEKARSKIE (WARSAW, POLAND : 1960) 2023; 76:1685-1693. [PMID: 37622516 DOI: 10.36740/wlek202307126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim: The aim of the study is to generalize the established by scientists features of the legal regulation of the institute of transplantation in Ukraine and other countries. PATIENTS AND METHODS Materials and methods: The article examines the institute of transplantation, its medico-legal character, and the problems of implementing the institute in Ukraine. In the study, the authors applied general scientific methods, which include system analysis, system modeling, dialectical method. The authors used the following materials: laws, decrees of the President of Ukraine, resolutions of the government and ministries of healthcare, dissertations and articles by scientists, assessments of leading experts in the field. CONCLUSION Conclusions: Theoretically, the legal aspect of the study of the institute of transplantation is important for formulating the general patterns of its emergence, developing prospects for its functioning and strategic directions for its further development, building a system for protecting the rights of all participants in this legal relationship. Different aspects of transplantation can be considered separately: medical or surgical; biological; psychological. But there is an equally important aspect - the legal one, which reveals the institute of transplantation from the standpoint of the protection of human dignity.
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