2013 Strengthening and Harmonizing Health Research Ethics in Zimbabwe through Partnerships and Training

Supported by an EDCTP grant, UNICRI is collaborating with the Partnership for Health Projects for Africa (PHP Africa), an NGO based in Zimbabwe, to establish sufficient Ethical Committee capacity to monitor all institutions which conduct different types of health-related research in Zimbabwe, as well as to ensure that the members of the committees undergo training in both Health Research Ethics (HRE) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

The ongoing project is aimed at forming the Zimbabwean Forum of Research Institutions (ZIMFRI) and using it as a platform for strengthening and harmonizing health research ethics in Zimbabwe. In addition to creating National Partnerships within Zimbabwe, UNICRI will participate in forming a North-South Partnership, through organizing and facilitating training workshops and sharing expertise and experience.

The expected outcomes of the project are:

• Networked research institutions under the auspices of ZIMFRI
• Trained members of Institutional Ethics Committees, researchers and policy makers in terms of Health Research Ethics (HRE) and Good Clinical Practices (GCP)
• Newly established Institutional Ethics Committees
• Harmonized ethical review and monitoring processes
• Strengthened and efficient ethical review and monitoring processes

In addition, UNICRI and AIFA are currently mapping the existing capacity building activities on ethical monitoring and legal framework of biomedical research in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Nigeria and Mozambique, in order to offer tailored training, technical assistance, networking and cooperation where it is most needed.