The government of The Gambia and MRC Ethics Committee, recently concluded a day seminar on ethical standards in biomedical research and good clinical practices (GCP) at the Kairaba Hotel, Senegambia.

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Tumani Corah, MRC unit director, described biomedical research as an important component of improving health and health-care system in the country. He said the ethics committee needs to continue to learn from the results of carefully designed and directed research studies, involving individual participants as well as populations.

Professor Corah noted that the standard of biomedical research must be the same, regardless of whether it is carried out in a developing or developed world.

“The general ethical principles related to health care research all over the world are the same. It is meant to alleviate suffering and not to exploit the poor and the vulnerable,” he said

Prof Corrah added that “one of the pillars of biomedical research is informed consent. This is a must, if biomedical research is to be ethically acceptable”.

In addition to addressing the ethical concerns surrounding their research, he said the MRC unit in The Gambia also endeavours to adhere to internationally recognised standards of good clinical practice (GCP) in all its clinical trials.

He then told the gathering that The Gambia government and MRC ethics committee has been in existence close to three decades and that it is recognised by major research funding agencies world-wide.

For his part, Dr Malick Njie, secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare, said his department of state is aware of the government and MRC ethics committee, adding that the committee have played a critical part in the review process. He added that DOSH, MRC, UTG and other institutioins are represented in this committee.

SOS Njie then commended President Jammeh for his commitment towards improving the health sector.

For his part, Nestor Shivute, WHO representative in The Gambia, said one of the core functions of WHO since its inception in 1948, is to articulate consistent, ethical and evidence-based policy and advocacy positions, and to stimulate research and development.

“WHO is a strong advocate for biomedical research, as it provides evidence to set international standards and norms that will guide practice in the health field,” he noted.

The WHO rep defined ethics as moral principles concerning human conduct.

He revealed that in the course of championing this process, WHO had established way back in 1949, a very fruitful collaboration with the council for international organisations of medical sciences (CIOMS), paving the way for collaborative work on ethics in relation to biomedical research during the late 1970s.