Clinical Trials Community Platform
Increasing the visibility of the African clinical trialists
and sites
Science Innovation Pathways | Clinical Research & Trials Community (CRTC)) |Clinical Trials Community Platform
WHAT WE DO
CRTCThe Clinical Trials Community Platform is an online platform that aims to be a comprehensive source of intelligence on country-level clinical trial processes and will increase the visibility of African trialists, clinical sites/centers, the continent’s regulatory agencies, and their capabilities to increase the level of clinical trial investment in Africa. This initiative is a collaboration with nuvoteQ (who are the Technology and development partners) and it is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
The CTC’s goal is to increase the level of clinical trial investments in Africa by increasing the visibility of the African clinical trialists and sites and making transparent and accessible individual country regulatory and ethics procedures to inform decision-making by sponsors and funders.
The objectives of CTC are to:
- Increase visibility: African Clinical Trialists and Sites by indicating the geographical location and corresponding disease burden.
- Remove duplication: Reduce unnecessary duplication of efforts by providing access to current site feasibility data.
- Improving predictability: Providing access to regulatory and ethics requirements across countries and an online platform for sponsor engagement
- Reducing bias: Funding across countries and disease areas by highlighting gaps and promoting synergy across strategic funders
The Clinical Research and Trials Community (CRTC) team constituted a 12-member Advisory Committee from across Africa’s five geographic regions with selection based on gender and expertise. The AC members give strategic advice and counsel on clinical trials and research in Africa by boosting uptake and utility of the Clinical Trials Community online platform, contributing to communications activities and being visible ambassadors of the CTC Platform within Africa and globally.
SFAFoundation
CTC seeks to increase the visibility of the African clinical trialists and sites.
How will science policy engagement drive impact:
- If R&I is to deliver maximum impact and positively change the lives of African people and societies, findings from Africa led R&I research programmes should be translated into recommendations that can be implemented within policy and practice in Africa.
- Contribute to efficiency and effectiveness within programmes through best practice.
- Ensure the right questions are formulated, asked, and answered through an African lens.
- Highlight gaps and key points of evidence within context and in an accurate manner to facilitate comprehension and use.
- Promote shared understanding, trust and collaboration for meaningful work that drives change regionally and globally
- Place African experts and policymakers at the centre of science-led policymaking processes in Africa
- Place contextually relevant data and perspectives at the centre of science-led decision-making process in Africa.
Activities being implemented by SPEAR
Artificial intelligence (AI) and Data Science policy gaps from an African perspective. The African STI landscape is witnessing the emergence of AI and Data Science across various sectors. However, for these technologies to have their full positive impact, it is crucial to develop trust among stakeholders and formulate contextualized policies that support their implementation in the region. This grant aims to address these areas by:
- Convening African stakeholders to examine and comprehend the policy gaps in AI and Data Science in global health from an African perspective, focusing on but not limited to genomics, clinical trials/drug development, and epidemics/pandemics.
- In collaboration with African partners, identifying the research and development goals of AI and data science for the betterment of global health from an African perspective.
- Engaging the public on AI and Data Science policy
" If scientific results are not shared broadly, then the societal benefits are significantly limited. We have a responsibility to ensure that policymakers have access to the best, relevant and up-to-date knowledge available. To achieve Africa’s sustainable development goals, it is critical that policy decisions are informed by contextually relevant evidence”. - Uzma Alam, SPEAR programme lead.
