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Optimising Research & Innovation Systems for Health in Africa
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In this issue:
- 2016 Developments in COHRED Africa
- COHRED Africa key support services
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Recent developments in COHRED Africa
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We are proud to announce that over the past year COHRED Africa has undergone several exciting new developments we wish to share with you...
We have recently established offices in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission of the Republic of South Africa (CIPC) as a not-for-profit organisation in the name of Aequitas Global NPC (registration number 2016/199513/08). We are currently under way with our NPO registration and establishing our finance systems.
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Meet our COHRED Africa Team
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Jacintha Toohey
Executive Director - COHRED Africa
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Nivedhna Singh, Business Manager
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Francis Kombe, Project Manager (RHinnO Ethics)
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Amin Matola, Legal Researcher
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Kirsten Klipp, Intern (Research Fairness Initiative)
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Meet our Board members
We take great pleasure in introducing our Executive Board members to you.
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is the founder and Managing Director of Pharmalys (a Consulting firm & Contract Research Organisation (CRO) based in Senegal (Dakar) and the United Kingdom (London). Ms Ba has extensive experience in conducting international clinical trials and a strong expertise of real world studies both in Africa and in Europe.
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is the Convocation President and Member of the University Council and Senate of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. Professor Mgone's special interest is in global health, especially in the alleviation of the disease and social burden of poverty-related diseases including HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
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Professor Carel IJsselmuiden
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is a Public Health Physician and Epidemiologist. He has worked in rural medicine, peri-urban and urban health care and environmental health services, as well as in academic public health education and research ethics training. Professor IJsselmuiden has also published in various areas in applied research and public health.
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is the Associate Director for Policy, Advocacy, Research Preparedness & Regulatory Affairs at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). Prior to joining IAVI, she was heading the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)’s Africa Regional office. Dr Mokgatla has worked as a clinician at Botswana’s main referral hospital – Princess Marina, after which she diverted into medical and clinical research. Following specialization in Public health, Medical Law, Medical Ethics, Human rights and Research Ethics.
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Key support services of COHRED Africa
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We would like to take this opportunity to share some exciting news about our COHRED Africa support services
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Negotiating better contracts in collaborative research partnerships
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Enhancing the Quality and efficiency of Your Ethics Review Process
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COHRED is currently a member on the TRUST project. The TRUST project is made up of a thirteen member international consortium of multi-interdisciplinary level collaboration of ethics bodies, policy advisors, civil society organisations, funding organisations, industry and academic scholars. TRUST aims to catalyse a global collaborative effort to improve adherence to high ethical standards around the world.The project deliverables include three tools: (1) a Global Code of Conduct for funders, (2) a Fair Research Contracting on-line tool, and, (3) a Compliance and Ethics follow-up tool. For more information about this project please visit the
TRUST and
FRC websites.
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TRUST updates...
A video is available on TRUST YouTube channel now. This video was filmed in the Kalahari in June 2016. It describes how the local San community have been protecting themselves from exploitation in research for over 10 years. As Petrus Vaalbooi says in an interview for the documentary: “We, the bushmen of South Africa, would like to work with other learned people, who can assist us to find the way forward, as we on earth need one another”. Please see link to the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOdw3mv7JSo
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Back row, from left to right: Joses Kirigia; Bathelemy Nyasse; Piere Ongolo-Zongo; Martin Ota (Committee Coordinator); Abdikamal Alisalad; Salim Abdulla; Fred Binka; Garry Aslanyan; Charles Wiysonge; Jean Marie Rakotomanga; Peter Gaturuku; Modest Mulenga; Davidson Munondawafa; Thomas Nyirenda; Babatunde Sanni; Takele Geresu.Front row, from left to right: Marcelline Itoua; Boitumelo Mokgatla; Jacintha Toohey; Edna Vierga; Flavia Senkubuge (Secretary); Triphonie Nkurunziza; Bongani Mayosi (Chair); Tewabech Bishaw; Maria Sambo; Naomi Seboni; Portia Manangazira; Nirina Razakasoa.
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30th Session of the African Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development (AACHRD) Meeting
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In March 2016, COHRED Africa staff members attended the 30th Session of the African Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development (AACHRD) Meeting, Cape Town, South Africa. The AACHRD was established to provide advice to the Regional Director on the one of the WHO/AFRO’s core functions – which is to shape the research agenda and encourage the “generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge.” A session was held which focussed on the developments in the area of “Research Collaboration in Africa-Contribution”. COHRED presented on the key services and tools it provides in low- and middle- income countries in South-South and North-South collaborations. COHRED will continue to interact with the AACHRD on ways to collaborate in building health research systems.
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COHRED-SAMRC consultation meeting: Legal and Compliance Services in the process of research contracting
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The
SAMRC together with COHRED co-hosted a consultation workshop on the 2-3 November 2016, in Cape Town at the SAMRC’s Medicine Campus. The event was aimed at creating synergy between the Legal & Compliance Services department of the SAMRC and the respective SAMRC Research and Business Units. The efforts were aimed at maximising institutional compliance, breeding understanding on critical concerns affecting both fields within the context of collaborative research and identifying ways to bridging the gap between law and science. The goal was to create an improved collaborative research contracting environment. This meeting was a first for both COHRED and the SAMRC and we are proud to report the Consultative Workshop was a success. We look forward to future collaborations with the SAMRC in 2017.
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The 8th European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) FORUM
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The biennial EDCTP Forum is one of the most prominent conferences on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other neglected infectious diseases prevalent in Africa and it was expected that 600 delegates would congregate. Since its first occasion, 12 years ago in Rome, Italy, the EDCTP Forum has become an opportunity for dialogue and the exchange of great ideas between scientists, policy makers, funders, donors and global health advocates in the field of clinical development of effective and accessible interventions against these poverty-related diseases.
COHRED Africa was fortunate to showcase the latest version of the RHInno Ethics software at the 8th EDCTP Forum in Lusaka, Zambia.
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Happy Holidays from all of us at COHRED Africa
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