Article Text
Abstract
Background In the past decades, Africa witnessed increased biomedical research and transnational collaborations making the continent vulnerable to exploitation. Research ethics committees (REC) are the cornerstone; however, many lack an accreditation system. A self-assessment tool can be feasible for reviewing processes and policies against recognized standards. This study aimed to describe Mozambique’s RECs network and its operational and functional characteristics.
Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. In 2019, Mozambique had seven RECs; the study population was the president of each existing REC. A self-assessment tool developed by researchers from Africa was used. Participants were recruited by telephone, and after informed consent, the questionnaire was emailed to each participant and returned to the investigators. A descriptive statistical analysis was done to describe the frequency of the events.
Results The existing seven RECs in 2019 accepted to participate in the study. A total of six RECs has a policy for appointing the president. The most common criteria for the president’s selection were prior training in ethics (six), followed by prior research experience (five). Regarding resources, only one of the seven RECs reported having a yearly budget, and only one has a full-time administrative staff. The reported number of RECs that meet as a full committee to review research studies once a month was four, and two referred meeting once a week. All the RECs stated they have policies for protocol reviewing. Out of seven, six RECs have a policy on expedited review, on how decisions are made and communicated to investigators.
Conclusion This study is the first attempt to document Mozambique’s RECs network. The process of self-assessment raises knowledge regarding strengths and challenges. Results can serve as a quality improvement mechanism detecting specific areas needing upgrading and as a reference on how they are operating compared to others.