Randomised trials of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa – charting the path forward
South African Journal of Science
; 118(5/6):1-4, 2022.
Article
in English
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-1912356
ABSTRACT
Vaccines have played a critical role in controlling disease outbreaks, hence the proliferation of the development and testing of multiple vaccine candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randomised trials are gold standards for evaluating the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions such as COVID-19 vaccines. However, contextual differences may attenuate effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Thus, the need to conduct COVID-19 vaccine trials in all settings, including in Africa. We conducted a crosssectional analysis of planned, ongoing, and completed COVID-19 vaccine trials in Africa. We searched the South African National Clinical Trials Register, Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) on 12 January and 30 April 2022 and complemented this with a search of ClinicalTrials.gov on 17 May 2022. We screened the search output and included randomised trials with at least one recruitment site in Africa. We identified only 108 eligible trials 90 (83%) evaluating candidate COVID-19 vaccines, 11 (10%) assessing if existing vaccines could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 7 (7%) evaluating interventions for improving COVID-19 vaccination coverage. South Africa had the highest number of trials at 58 (54%). Beyond South Africa, countries with more than 10 trial sites include Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Among the trials, 14 (13%) do not have principal investigators based in Africa, 39 (30%) are funded by industry, and 91 (84%) are funded by institutions based outside the host country. COVID-19 vaccine trials with recruitment sites in Africa represented only 7% of the 1453 COVID-19 vaccine trials in the ICTRP The paucity of COVID-19 vaccine trials conducted on the African continent is a cause for concern. This has implications for the role that Africa may play in future pandemics.
Sciences: Comprehensive Works; Pandemics; Infections; Clinical trials; COVID-19 vaccines; Vaccines; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Funding; Mutation; Disease control; Recruitment; Viral diseases; Evaluation; Human immunodeficiency virus--HIV; Pan-Africanism; Adenoviruses; Vaccination; Coronaviruses; Egypt; Africa; Zimbabwe; South Africa; Uganda; Ghana; Kenya
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Vaccines
Language:
English
Journal:
South African Journal of Science
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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