AMMREN AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MCTA

The Malaria Clinical Trial Alliance(MCTA) recently held its Annual General Meeting at BagamoyoTanzania. African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMEREN) was represented by the Ghana Chapter Co-ordinator Clare Banoeng-Yakubo.

The scientists reviewed their work at the trial sites and strategize for 2008.

Malaria Clinical Trials have been on-going in ten African Countries since 2006. The

countries are testing a vaccine RTSS that would protect children and pregnant women

from malaria.

Some countries including Ghana have been given the permission to start

the third phase of the trial to determine the safety and protection of the malaria vaccine

when administered alongside routine child immunization programmes.

The scientists therefore met in Tanzania to discuss progress made so far and to share

experiences. The meeting brought together leaders of the ten sites as well as donors and

International NGOs in malaria research in Africa. The Project Manager of MCTA, Prof.

Fred Binka commended the research centers for the successes chalked up but admitted

that there are challenges, financial management and weak regulatory systems.

He hoped that sites would follow the rules to put in place strong regulatory system to

make the sites centers of excellence. The issue of lack of funds and how the sites can

survive were major concerns.

The scientists urged the sites to develop linkages with national strategies to make them

sustainable. Site leaders also pledged to diversify into other research areas to make the

sites sustainable.

To provide guidance and support to the centers, the MCTA also identified some mentors

and attached to the centers. Prof. Brian Greenwood of the London School of Hygiene and

Tropical Medicine is one of the five mentors.

He pledged to do his best to support the site in the Gambia which he is mentoring.

Some of the countries carrying out the trials are Tanzania, Kenya, Gabon, the Gambia,

Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Ghana.