Building Capacity for Research Ethics Committees in Uganda.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Research Ethics
• Health Systems Strengthening

Background:

• Timely communication from Research Ethics Committees (RECs) is crucial for meeting research deadlines.
• Inefficiencies in the research regulatory approval cycle can delay critical studies.
• Capacity building is a potential strategy to enhance REC performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a capacity building program on REC members, administrators, and researchers in Uganda.
• To improve the efficiency of the research regulatory approval cycle.
• To evaluate changes in knowledge and skills related to research ethics and information management.

Main Methods:

• A capacity building program was delivered to REC members, administrators, and researchers across seven Ugandan RECs.
• Training occurred between March 2020 and July 2021.
• Trainees were assessed using pre- and post-training tests to evaluate knowledge and skill acquisition.

Main Results:

• Average scores increased from 38% to 53% for the personal effectiveness and leadership program for REC administrators.
• Average scores rose from 53.9% to 70.1% for training on emerging and complex study designs.
• Significant improvements in knowledge and skills were observed in the use of the National Research Information Management System.

Conclusions:

• The capacity building program effectively enhanced the skills and knowledge of REC members and administrators.
• Regular training is recommended to ensure the efficient review of research protocols.
• Investments in training can strengthen research ethics oversight and accelerate the research approval process.