AMANET Launches Forth Web-based Training: Advanced Health Research Ethics

PRESS RELEASE

Dar es Salaam, 12 September 2008

The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) is pleased to announce the expansion of its web based training. AMANET has launched today an Advanced Course on Health Research Ethics, which becomes the fourth web-based course provided by AMANET and funded by the European-Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).  Other ongoing AMANET web-based courses are Basic Health Research Ethics (English version), Basic Health Research Ethics (French version) and Basic Good Clinical Practice.  All courses are freely available at http://webcourses.amanet-trust.org/.

The Basic Health Research Ethics Course provides a basic understanding of ethical issues and equips trainees (members of ethics committees, health researchers, scientists and other key personnel in health research) with the necessary tools and knowledge required to safeguard the safety and welfare of human research participants.

The Advanced Health Research Ethics (HRE) Course  aims to flag topical ethical issues that are relevant to health research in developing country settings particularly in Africa, and explores various schools of thought regarding contemporary ethical challenges and dilemmas.

Commenting on the launch, Prof Wen Kilama, AMANET Managing Trustee, said “Since the founding in 1995 of the African Malaria Vaccine Testing Network (AMVTN) the predecessor of AMANET, we have been very much concerned not only on attaining high scientific standards  in health research undertaken in Africa, we have further aspired at attaining high ethical standards. But given the ever increasing challenges to health researchers particularly in Africa, AMANET has found it appropriate to launch this Advanced Course on Health Research Ethics, which will address newer challenges and contemporary issues likely to face African health researchers.”

“I very much hope that this course will benefit not only health researchers, but also managers of health research institutions, researchers in other fields, policy and decision makers, sponsors of health research undertaken in developing countries, regulatory authorities, and professional bodies” added Prof Kilama.

The Advanced HRE course has seven modules namely: Ethical Principles in Health Research and Review Processes; Responsibilities in Health Research; Ethical Issues in Research Design and Recruitment of Research Participants; Models and Practicalities of Community Engagement; Ethical Issues in International Collaborative Health Research; Animal Research Ethics; and Ethical Issues in Traditional Medical Practice and ‘Research.

 “It is hoped that successful completion of the course will bring participants up to date with topical ethical issues surrounding current research practices, and enable them to effectively address pertinent ethical and practical challenges of research from the design stage, through the implementation stage, to post-research stage. Indeed the ultimate goal is to enhance the protection of the welfare of research participants in the wake of increasing volume of health research in the developing world” said Dr Aceme Nyika, AMANET Ethics Coordinator, one of the Facilitators for the online course.

Dr Roma Chilengi, AMANET Clinical Trials Coordinator and Facilitator for this course said “The faculty for the course constitutes one of the best in Africa as far as health research ethics is concerned. It’s been rewarding developing this and the preceding HRE course. As faculty, we have probably learned ethics all over and are very excited to take HRE training to a higher level and wider audience, for free”

AMANET continues to strengthen human resource capacity required for ethical and high standard research in Africa. AMANET has organized short-term training workshops which have benefited over 1000 African health researchers and scientists: Good Clinical Practices (GCP), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Health Research Ethics, molecular biology and immunology, and data management.

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For further information contact:
Dr Charles L. Wanga
Communications Officer
African Malaria Network Trust [AMANET]
PO Box 33207
Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA.
Email : clwanga@amanet-trust.org  
www.amanet-trust.org  
Tel: +255 22 2700018
Fax: +255 22 2700380

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