Strengthening Ethics Committees for Health-related Research in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Scoping Review Protocol

Overview

Journal BMJ Open

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2021 Aug 13

PMID 34385239

Citations 1

Authors

Val Thurtle

Andy Jm Leather

Haja Wurie

Edward Foday

Mohamed Samai

Divya Parmar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Health research in low-income and middle-income countries, which face the greatest burden of disease, is a vital component of efforts to combat global health inequality. With increased research, there has also been concern about ethical and regulatory issues and the state of research ethics committees, with various attempts to strengthen them. This scoping review examines the literature on ethics committees for health-related research in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on regulatory governance and leadership, administrative and financial capacity, and conduct of ethical reviews.

Methods And Analysis: We will use the methodological approach proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and adapted by Levac and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are based on the 'Population-Concept-Context' framework. Literature (from January 2000 to December 2020) will be searched in multiple databases including Embase and PubMed and websites of relevant organisations. All records will be screened by applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review flowchart: two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, and full text of included records. Using an inductive approach, we will synthesise the literature, identify best practice and gaps in evidence on strengthening research ethics committees.

Ethics And Dissemination: Ethical approval is not required as the review will include only published literature. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at stakeholder meetings and conferences.

Citing Articles

Strengthening ethics committees for health-related research in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Chaudhry I, Thurtle V, Foday E, Leather A, Samai M, Wurie H BMJ Open. 2022; 12(11):e062847.

PMID: 36410802 PMC: 9680187. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062847.

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