THE STATE OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN CAMEROON

1. Emmanuel Acha ASONGALEM Vice Dean, Research and Cooperation, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Buea Email: cpehw@yahoo.com, emmanuel.asongalem@ubuea.net Tel: 237 7554 5718 THE STATE OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN CAMEROON

2. Objectives • Introduction • Organisation of research in Cameroon • Biomedical Research Centres • National biomedical research priorities • Percentage distribution of research conducted in Cameroon • Types of research • Research funding • Some ongoing clinical researches going on in Cameroon • Some biomedical researches going on in UB • Unethical incidence of biomedical research • Ethical issues in Cameroon • Areas of collaboration BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

3. Cameroon Official Name: Republic of Cameroon Area: Capital: Yaounde Official Languages BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

4. Organisation of research in Cameroon • No single National organisresponsible for coordinatingresearch in Cameroon. • ThreeMinistries are involve in biomedicalresearch: • MinistryHigher Education (MINESUP) • Coordinated by Div. OperationalResearch • Ministry of Health (MINSANTE) • Coordinated by Division of OperationalHealthResearch • Ministry of ScientificResearch (MINRESI) • Coordinated by Div. of Research and Program Policy) BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

5. Centers of BiomedicalResearch • MINISTRY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH • Camdiagnostics • Institute of MedicalResearch and Medicinal Plants Studies (IMPM) • National Institute for Agricultural Research (IRAD) • MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION • Universities (8 state and >10 private) • University of Buea – Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Influenza virus and otheremerginginfectiousdiseases • University of Yaounde 1 – Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Metabolic syndrome • University of Douala – Malaria • University of Dschang – Malaria • MINISTRY OF HEALTH • International Reference Center of Chantal Biya (IRCCB) • Institute Pasteur – Medical Services • Organization of Coordination for the fight against endemic diseases in Central Africa (OCEAC) – Malaria, HIV/AIDS, infectiousdiseases • PRESICA, Yaounde – HIV/AIDS • InvestigativeResearch – Cameroon (IRECAM) – HIV/AIDS • Baptist Center, Mutengene – HIV/AIDS • National HealthLaboratory (Hygiene Mobile) – emergingdiseases • National Laboratory for quality control of drugs (CENAME) – National Medication Distribution Center. BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

6. National Biomedicalresearchpriorities BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

7. Percentage distribution of research conducted in Cameroon Biomedical Conference - Kumasi, 2012

8. Distribution of Health Research in Cameroon BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

9. Types of biomedical research in Cameroon Biomedical Conference - Kumasi, 2012

10. Preclinical research Biomedical Conference - Kumasi, 2012

11. Study types of Clinical Trials BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

12. Distribution of primary outcomes of clinical trial performed in Cameroon Biomedical Conference - Kumasi, 2012

13. Sources of biomedical research sponsorship BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

14. Budget estimates for research in Cameroon * Not specifically for biomedical research † subsidises to public medical schools and research institution; excludes money in collaborative centers such CIRCB ‡ allocated for health research . It is mainly given to IMPM NA: data not available § Allocation from Global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB Biomedical Conference - Kumasi, 2012

15. Areas of international-sponsoredresearch BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

16. Distribution of sponsorship BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

17. Sponsors of Biomedicalreseach in Cameroon • International organs • WHO (TDR, UNAIDs, Global Fund) • European Union (EDCTP project on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, CANTAM) • United Nations Family Planning Agency (UNFPA) • UNICEF • World Bank (Global Fund for the fightagainst HIV/AIDS/TB/Malaria) • GTZ • International NGOs • Helen Keller International • Gates & Melinda Foundation • Médecins Sans Frontiére • Pharmaceutical companies • Pfizer • Sanofi Aventis • Gilead Science • Roche • National institutions • Government (Universities, IMPM, CENAME, Hygiene Mobile) • Private (verylittle contributions) • International sponsors & Institutions • America • Centre for Disease Control • John Hopkins School of Public Health • National Institutes of Health • US Army HIV Researchproject (LEID) • USAID • France • Institut de Recherche pour la Développement (IRD) • French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS, France) • Centre de Recherche pour la Santé des Armées (CRESAR) • Italy • CIRCB • Canada • Canadian International DevelopmentResearch Center (IDRC) BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

18. Clinical trials going on in Cameroon BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

19. Some biomedical researches going on in UB BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

20. Unethical incidence of biomedical research • Tenofovir (VIREAD) prophylactic or preventive properties against HIV infection • Cambodia and West Africa (Cameroon, Ghana & Nigeria) (started July, 2004). • Gates Foundation (USA)  Family Health International (FHI –USA)  Care and Health Programme (CHP) – an NGO.400 uninfected sex workers (200 test drug + 200 placebo) • Visit by Act Up-Paris and REDS (Réseau Ethique Droit et Santé, to Cameroon, protest from sex workers, picked up by France-2 TV, magnified and trial suspended in February 2005. • Causes leading to failure • Transport of USD3 • Prevention package did not include female condoms • 5 social workers to counsel 100 participants • Infected HIV participants were not to treated with HIV drugs • 6 (palcebo) 4 (Tenofovir) have seroconverted by August 2005. • State-of –the-art treatment was ordered by FHI. BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

21. Ethical issues in Cameroon • All health research projects must obtain permits from the Div. of Operational Research in MPH. • About 14 ERCs in Cameroon, but only 2 are recognized at the MPH (the national ERC (1987), and the ethics committee of Centre International de Reference Chantal Biya (CIRCB) since 2006) • To date, Administrative Authorization for clinical trials and protocols with international collaboration is only granted for protocols reviewed at the National Ethics Committee • The MPH (in collaboration with the CNEC) is currently proposing a guide to regulate the creation of Institutional Review Boards in Cameroon • Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, has a functional ERB for both students and externally funded projects BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

22. Areas of collaboration with University of Buea BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

23. Conclusion BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

24. References & Information sources • National Ethical Committee of Cameroon, Yaounde. • Ministry of Health • Division of operational Health research • http://dev.cdnss.dros-minsante-cameroun.org/ • Ministry of Higher Education • Division of Operational research • http://www.citi.cm/minesup-recherche/ • Ministry of Scientific Research & Innovation • Division of Rsearch and Program Policy • http://www.minresi.net/minresi/ • Cadre de dépenses à Moyen Terme Santé by Ministry of Public Health, 2010 • Situational Analysis of Health Research in Cameroon by Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED), 1995. • Libraries and interviews • University of Buea • University of Yaounde1 • University of Douala • Univesity of Dschang • OCEAC library • Global fund (www.theglobalfund.org) BiomedicalConference - Kumasi, 2012

25. Biomedical Conference - Kumasi, 2012