Global Forum on Bioethics in ResearchGlobal Forum on Bioethics in Research

Sandra Realpe (GFBR-Secretariat)

Carel IJsselmuiden (COHRED, Director)

www.gfbronline.com

The 8th Global Forum

- on- Bioethics in Research

Lithuania, 27-29 June 2007

Background Data on Fora 1-7 The Secretariat Fellowship Programme

1999 Bethesda, USA. First meetingFirst meeting initiated initiated by the Fogarty International Centre of the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organisation, to facilitate global, open, and frank discussion of issues in health research from the developing countries perspective

The GFBR is the only global platform specifically provided to promote debate on emerging ethical issues in international collaborative health research between developing and developed countries

The debate (not declarations, resolutions) takes place in an annual meeting with 100-150 participants from over a two-or three-day period.

BackgroundBackground

To promote ethical international health research by bringing together ethicists, researchers, and policy makers from developing and developed countries to debate emerging ethical, social, legal and public policy issues related to health and biomedical research in international settings.

MissionMission

To strengthen the protection of human participants in international health research;

To provide a forum for developing country perspectives on ethical issues in research;

To explore opportunities to enhance capacity for ethical review of research;

To create a context for research involving human subjects in which developing and developed country scientists, ethicists, community representatives, policy-makers, and other relevant stakeholders can address ethical issues in ways that encourage expeditious long-term joint management of research protocols.

Specific aims Specific aims

Where has the forum been Where has the forum been

held?held?

November, 7-10, 1999

Partnerships Between Research Sponsors And Investigators Involved in Clinical Trials in Developing Countries, Needs of multi-centre Training Programme

FIC/HIH

Number of participants = 120

NB We do not have country information for GFBR1

GFBR1 - Bethesda, USAGFBR1 - Bethesda, USA

October, 14-15, 2000

Capacity Building for Ethics Review in Developing Countries, Benefiting the host Community

WHO

Number of participants = 102

30% of participants were from developed countries

70% were from developing countries

NB The definition of developed vs developing countries was obtained from the World Bank April 2007 data Gross National Income (GNI) data, accessed at http://web.worldbank.org/ Here a developing country is referred to as ”low-income and middle-income economies "

GFBR2

30%

70%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR2 - Bangkok, ThailandGFBR2 - Bangkok, Thailand

GFBR3

61%

39% Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR3 – Cape Town, South AfricaGFBR3 – Cape Town, South Africa

February, 21-23, 2002

Bioethics and Public Health Research, Including Ethical Guidelines Related to Post-trial Access to Drugs

UK-MRC

Number of participants = 117

39% of participants were from developed countries

61% were from developing countries

GFBR4

27%

73%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR4 – Brasilia, BrazilGFBR4 – Brasilia, Brazil

October, 29-30, 2002

Genetics, Genomics and Ethics (Ethics of Genomic Research)

PAHO

Number of participants = 119

27% of participants were from developed countries

73% were from developing countries

GFBR 5

51%49%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR5 – Paris, FranceGFBR5 – Paris, France

April, 22-23, 2004

Sharing the Benefits from Research in Developing Countries: Equity and Intellectual Property

INSERM

Number of participants =124

51% of participants were from developed countries

49% were from developing countries

GFBR 6

23%

77%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR6 – Blantyre, MalawiGFBR6 – Blantyre, Malawi

March, 17-19, 2005

What happens when the research is over? Post-trial Obligations of Researchers and Sponsors

The Wellcome Trust

Number of participants =150

23% of participants were from developed countries

77% were from developing countries

GFBR7

10%

90%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR7 – Karachi, PakistanGFBR7 – Karachi, Pakistan

February, 17-19, 2006

Ethical Issues Involving Public Health, Health Systems, and Health Services

Aga Khan University

Number of participants =148

23% of participants were from developed countries

77% were from developing countries

GFBR8 – Vilnius, LithuaniaGFBR8 – Vilnius, Lithuania

June, 27-29, 2007

Fostering Research Ethics Infrastructure in the Developing World/Transition Societies

Vilnius University in cooperation with Union Graduate College Bioethics Program (USA)

Number of participants =130

30% of participants are from developed countries

70% are from developing countries and transition societies

GFBR2

30%

70%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

Which countries have Which countries have participants come from?participants come from?

40% of the countries in the World have been represented at some point

GFBR8 – Vilnius, LithuaniaGFBR8 – Vilnius, Lithuania

Number of participants

Fora 1-7 (1999-2006) = 880

Fora 8 (2007) + 130

_____

2007 = 1010 !

In total ( +-) participants have come:

29% from developed countries

71% have come from developing countries (and transition societies)

Call for application to host GFBR8

GFBR-Secretariat

GFBR1-8

30%

70%

Developed country participants

Developing country participants

GFBR-Secretariat is supported by a grant from the Science and Society Programme in Specific Support Action of the European Commission.

The GFBR-Secretariat is based on and operates a fellowship scheme.

Functions: Maintaining the “institutional memory” and organizational continuity of the GFBR and raising funds to extend the Secretariat activities.

GFBR-Secretariat GFBR-Secretariat Fellowship ProgrammeFellowship Programme

GFBR-Secretariat is housed by the Council on Health Research for Development (COHREDCOHRED)

50% FTE Ethics Officer

2 Fellowships

The recipient of the 2007-2008 first Fellowship is Xiuqin Wang

Next call

Training and Opportunity

Current partnersCurrent partners