AMANET
to Receive US$4.1 Million from The Gates Foundation for Building
Institutional Capacities in Health Research Ethics in Africa
Press Release
21 February 2007
The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) has received a US$4.1
million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The
purpose of the four-year grant is to strengthen institutional
capacity in health research ethics (HRE) in Africa, and to
foster and promote discussion, research and publications that
highlight African perspectives. The project will focus on
strengthening HRE review processes across sub-Saharan Africa,
particularly in institutions undertaking, or about to undertake,
malaria intervention trials.
The worsening malaria situation in sub-Saharan Africa,
unprecedented progress and promise from biomedical research
discoveries, and the need to bridge the malaria funding gap have
led to growing investments to develop new products for the
treatment, management, prevention, and control of malaria.
Consequently, more malaria research and trials involving African
and non-African scientists and institutions will have to be
undertaken in Africa.
“Bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, some African
governments, philanthropies like the Gates Foundation, and other
sponsors are rising to the growing malaria challenge by
significantly increasing malaria research funding, including the
development of new tools against malaria,” said the AMANET
Managing Trustee, Prof. Wen Kilama. “Such studies need to
involve those most vulnerable to malaria, including infants,
young children and pregnant women. The rights and well-being of
these research participants must be protected,” he said.
Prof. Kilama added, “Health research ethics is a major concern,
especially for Africa, where trial participants are particularly
vulnerable due to high disease rates, low education rates,
rampant poverty, and frequent human rights abuses. Ethical
review systems, regulatory bodies, and research and health care
systems must be strengthened.”
The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET), which has extensive
experience in health research ethics, will work to strengthen
African institutional capacities in health research ethics (HRE)
review, train malaria researchers in HRE, and foster and promote
electronic discussion and debate of ethical issues facing
African research institutions.
The creation of these competencies will help ensure that the
trials undertaken meet international ethical standards, and that
developed products will be licensed and made available to needy
African communities. By creating ethical awareness and improving
the ethical review process among African health researchers and
members of institutional ethics review committees, the project
will go a long way in protecting the rights and wellbeing of
research participants, especially of highly vulnerable groups
and individuals.
The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) is a pan-African,
non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, whose mission is to promote capacity
strengthening, performance and impact of African malaria R & D
institutions. AMANET started its activities as African Malaria
Vaccine Testing Network (AMVTN) in 1995 with the primary goal of
preparing Africa in planning and conducting malaria vaccine
trials. However, due to expanding goals in malaria
interventions, AMVTN was succeeded by AMANET in 2002 to reflect
a widened scope that incorporates a broad and integrated
approach in the fight against malaria.
Currently AMANET undertakes short-and long-term training of
African malaria researchers, infrastructure improvement,
equipping research institutions, and sponsorship of clinical and
field trials of candidate malaria intervention tools.
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For further information contact:
Dr Charles L. Wanga
Communications Officer
African Malaria Network Trust [AMANET]
Third Floor, Commission for Science and Technology Building
Ali Hassan Mwinyi Rd
PO Box 33207
Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA.
clwanga@amanet-trust.org
www.amanet-trust.org
Tel: +255 22 2700018
Fax: +255 22 2700380
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