The growing importance of Clinical trials in Africa
Since the past 20 years, Africa has shown some significant improvements in the healthcare industry. Thanks to the countless health and nutrition promotion campaigns, their health indicators have improved. The mortality rate of birth-giving mothers and children under the age of five has decreased up to fifty percent, the largest drop noticed in decades. In the past two years, widespread immunization awareness increased prenatal care, and better access to medical and health facilities have been seen. However, despite the rigorous improvement, the health rate of Uganda is still very low, and most of the children still don’t have adequate medical facilities.
Many essential services for premature babies or those with complications are still not available. And most of the healthcare facilities are often facing shortages of basic drugs and testing equipment. More than 30% of the children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition and other chronic diseases. The slackness in health and nutrition promotion has prevented millions of children from developing mental and physical.
The growing importance of Clinical trials in Africa is mainly due to the recent scientific breakthroughs, which have dramatically changed the treatment of many genetic disorders. This is now a golden age for gene therapy, and scientists around the world are rushing to adopt the new technology for the treatment of humans with genetic disorders.
The growth in the number of clinical trials in Africa is evident in the number of people employed in the sector. While the current size of the African biosciences workforce is modest, the sector is projected to grow, particularly in the country with the largest number of people employed in the biosciences: South Africa. The government has one of the largest biotechnology sectors in the world.
Progression of Africa’s Clinical Trials:
Today, clinical trials in Africa, particularly those on nutrition, are growing unprecedentedly. They have vastly improved the conditions in which clinical research takes place, particularly as it pertains to African Americans, who are often underrepresented in clinical trials, and they serve as a powerful mechanism for learning and practicing different diseases. The International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) is a repository of information related to clinical trials with both completed and ongoing trials and a clearinghouse of all clinical trials across the world.
Progression in the development of clinical trials in Africa is characterized by a number of factors, including small sample sizes, challenges with generalisability, high costs, time constraints and low levels of expertise and infrastructure.
Role of Pharmaceutical Companies in Africa’s Clinical Trials:
As pharmaceutical companies race to do more clinical trials in Africa, the continent is becoming a testing ground for new treatments that may eventually spread to other regions. In Kenya, for example, the Nairobi Biomedical Research Institute and the Kenya Medical Research Institute are putting in place the infrastructure needed to increase the number of clinical trials being done in places like the country’s capital region. They have also partnered with other institutions in the country to run clinical trials. In Ghana, drugs from the University of Cape Coast are being used in clinical trials.
When Africa’s Clinical Trials Accelerated?
Since 2003, when the first of these clinical trials took place, there has been a remarkable growth in the number of trial sites and clinical trials conducted on the continent. Several new clinical trial sites have opened since then in countries as diverse as Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Africa.
Here’s an effective plan for clinical trials in Africa that prioritize five key areas:
- Saving Newborn Lives
Since the first few minutes of a newborn’s life are crucial and critical, educating the healthcare facilities about simple steps that can save millions of lives is essential. The communities can train mothers on breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact to provide essential nutrition and warmth to the newborn after birth. The most common cause of death in newborns in Africa is Asphyxia, which can disable breathing ability. So, it’s essential to train midwives and nurses during clinical trials in Africa on basic techniques to rescue babies immediately after their birth.
2. Promoting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
Adolescents in Africa lack basic access to sexual and reproductive health services, and this is why clinical trials in Africa are essential for their well—being. According to studies, at least 1/4th of the women face teenage pregnancies, which is why young girls drop school. The promotional campaigns should work with schools and communities to promote sexual and reproductive health awareness.
3. Boosting nutrition
The healthcare communities should provide basic testing of malnutrition and provide food and nutritional support to young children and their mothers. The clinical trials in Africa should promote awareness among lactating and pregnant women to take better care of themselves and give birth to healthy babies. Health and nutrition promotion campaigns are the most effective way to reduce child malnutrition and improve children’s health in Africa.
4. Responding to emergencies
Despite significant improvement in the medical industry of Africa, they are still facing major problems in dealing with deadly outbreaks like Corona Virus. The globally spread virus has caused millions of people to lose their lives in Uganda. To prevent deadly diseases like DR Congo, Ebola, and Corona, hospitals and clinical trials in Africa should be provided with the necessary equipment. Health and nutrition promotion campaigns should dispel myths and create adequate awareness regarding such viruses.
.5 System strengthening
At last, the changes should be sustainable and long-term to strengthen the health systems in Africa. Improving the capacity of medical facilities and retaining them is a great approach to promoting community health. The communities should also promote research and development in Africa for long-term sustainability.
6. Conclusion
The health and nutrition promotion campaigns can improve the nutritional status of children and women in Africa. These clinical trials can play a crucial role in decreasing the infant and child mortality rate in Africa.