Background
Together with Teaching and Community Service, Research is a key pillar of a
functional University. Therefore, as members of the University embark on the journey
of, and to research, and because of the need to adhere to both National and
International Guidelines on research involving human participants, the School of
Health Sciences planned for and convened a training on Research Ethics. The
School has all along involved members of Soroti Regional Referral Hospital as key
partners in research.
The trainers were invited from the Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Research Ethics Unit, which is accredited and mandated by Uganda National
Council for Science and Technology, to review applications/protocols for research,
and most importantly, train teams that intend to form research and ethics
committees, such as ours at Soroti University.
We most sincerely appreciate and acknowledge the massive support from the
University Management team that graciously participated and authorized the entire
process, and also accepted to fund the training.
Activities
The School planning team identified competent and authorised trainers, we also
sought for and obtained funding from the University. The training was conducted
through lectures and discussions, and was a very interactive process. It involved
more than 50 participants selected from across the University departments and units,
Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, and from the Catholic and Anglican Churches. The
School has also drafted standard operating procedures for the Research Ethics
Committee, and have been reviewed by the trainers.
Key areas/topics that were covered during the training are: a) evolution of research
ethics; b) principles of research ethics; c) regulatory systems of research; d)
documentation of research processes, audits and research compliance, monitoring
and reporting of protocol events; e) the informed consent process; and f) conflict of
interest in research, and care of research participants.
The other key aspects that were discussed are: use of human biological materials,
risk benefit assessment, and how to carry out a good ethical review.
The participants took pre- training and post- training tests, following which,
certificates were awarded.
Conclusion
Turn up of participants was beyond expectations.
The Research Ethics training was successfully done, which is a key requirement by
Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, for creation and
operationalization of a Research Ethics Committee; we are therefore ready to move
to that next level of Committee formation; and we seek to adhere to, and uphold
ethical research.