Author: BENARD LUGONGO
AfricaPress-Tanzania: MEDICAL researches conducted in Tanzania will be set for efficient and protection of health personnel in the clinical trials, it has been stressed.
The assertion comes in the wake of a project dubbed ‘Ascend’ which kicked off in Dar es Salaam, on Thursday aimed at improving systems for upscaling Tanzania’s clinical research ethics and medicines regulatory capacity to monitor and regulate medical researches and trials in the country.
The 30-month project which is under the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) would also build capacity among the local researchers, medical professionals and students as well as institutions to come up with better research outcomes.
While launching the project in the city, Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and children, Prof Abel Makubi said the initiative would bring a lot of improvements by strengthening regulatory systems.
Prof Makubi was upbeat that the programme was going to build more capacity for the TMDA to speed up reviews and issuance of approvals for clinical trials.
“When I worked with Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza before I was appointed the Chief Medical Officer, I experienced delays in authorizing clinical trials, something which critically slows down efforts of researchers,” he stated.
He therefore urged the TMDA, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and Zanzibar Health Research Institute (ZAHRI) to work closely and collaborate to ensure speedy reviews and approvals.
Apart from the TMDA, NIMR and ZAHRI, other implementing partners for the project include Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences ( MUHAS) and Zanzibar Food and Drugs Authority (ZFDA) and others.
In his remarks, TMDA Director General Adam Fimbo cited the importance of the project as strengthening regulatory and ethical reviews, including linking participating institutions.
“It would also promote adoption, domestication and implementation of harmonized guidelines in clinical trials… control and support training institutions to provide both innovative and mentorship training to the National Ethics Committees and National Regulatory Authorities.
“Collaborating institutions in this project are looking forward to moving the ethical and regulatory over sight of clinical research in Tanzania at a higher level in line with global practices,” he explained.
NIMR said it has strong interest in the project because through its clinical researches would meet the required standards.
Commenting, a Researcher with the ZAHRI, Mr Khamis Kheir was optimistic that the initiative would build capacity among the medical professionals and improve their skills to meet international standards
