Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Sandra Realpe (GFBR-Secretariat) Carel IJsselmuiden (COHRED, Director) www.gfbro

1. Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Sandra Realpe (GFBR-Secretariat) Carel IJsselmuiden (COHRED, Director) www.gfbronline.com

2. Background • Data on Fora 1-7 • The Secretariat • Fellowship Programme

3. Background • 1999 Bethesda, USA. First meeting initiated by the Fogarty International Centre of the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organisation, to facilitate global, open, and frank discussion of issues in health research from the developing countries perspective • The GFBR is the only global platformspecificallyprovidedto promote debate on emerging ethical issues in international collaborative health research between developing and developed countries • The debate (not declarations, resolutions) takes place in an annual meeting with 100-150 participants from over a two-or three-day period.

4. Mission To promote ethical international health research by bringing together ethicists, researchers, and policy makers from developing and developed countries to debate emerging ethical, social, legal and public policy issues related to health and biomedical research in international settings.

5. Specific aims • To strengthen theprotection of human participants in international health research; • To provide a forum for developing country perspectives on ethical issues in research; • To explore opportunities to enhance capacity for ethical review of research; • To create a context for research involving human subjects in which developing and developed country scientists, ethicists, community representatives, policy-makers, and other relevant stakeholders can address ethical issues in ways that encourage expeditious long-term joint management of research protocols.

6. Where has the forum been held?

7. GFBR1 - Bethesda, USA • November, 7-10, 1999 • Partnerships Between Research Sponsors And Investigators Involved in Clinical Trials in Developing Countries, Needs of multi-centre Training Programme • FIC/HIH Number of participants = 120 NB We do not have country information for GFBR1

8. GFBR2 - Bangkok, Thailand • October, 14-15, 2000 • Capacity Building for Ethics Review in Developing Countries, Benefiting the host Community • WHO Number of participants = 102 • 30% of participants were from developed countries • 70% were from developing countries NB The definition of developed vs developing countries was obtained from the World Bank April 2007 data Gross National Income (GNI) data, accessed at http://web.worldbank.org/ Here a developing country is referred to as ”low-income and middle-income economies "

9. GFBR3 – Cape Town, South Africa • February, 21-23, 2002 • Bioethics and Public Health Research, Including Ethical Guidelines Related to Post-trial Access to Drugs • UK-MRC Number of participants = 117 • 39% of participants were from developed countries • 61% were from developing countries

10. GFBR4 – Brasilia, Brazil • October, 29-30, 2002 • Genetics, Genomics and Ethics (Ethics of Genomic Research) • PAHO Number of participants = 119 • 27% of participants were from developed countries • 73% were from developing countries

11. GFBR5 – Paris, France • April, 22-23, 2004 • Sharing the Benefits from Research in Developing Countries: Equity and Intellectual Property • INSERM Number of participants =124 • 51% of participants were from developed countries • 49% were from developing countries

12. GFBR6 – Blantyre, Malawi • March,17-19,2005 • What happens when the research is over? Post-trial Obligations of Researchers and Sponsors • The Wellcome Trust Number of participants =150 • 23% of participants were from developed countries • 77% were from developing countries

13. GFBR7 – Karachi, Pakistan • February, 17-19, 2006 • Ethical Issues Involving Public Health, Health Systems, and Health Services • Aga Khan University Number of participants =148 • 23% of participants were from developed countries • 77% were from developing countries

14. GFBR8 – Vilnius, Lithuania • June, 27-29, 2007 • Fostering Research Ethics Infrastructure in the Developing World/Transition Societies • Vilnius University in cooperation with Union Graduate College Bioethics Program (USA) Number of participants =130 • 30% of participants are from developed countries • 70% are from developing countries and transition societies

15. Which countries have participants come from? 40% of the countries in the World have been represented at some point

16. GFBR8 – Vilnius, Lithuania • Number of participants • Fora 1-7 (1999-2006) = 880 • Fora 8 (2007) + 130 • _____ • 2007 = 1010 ! In total ( +-) participants have come: 29% from developed countries 71% have come from developing countries (and transition societies) • Call for application to host GFBR8 • GFBR-Secretariat

17. GFBR-Secretariat Fellowship Programme • GFBR-Secretariat is supported by a grant from the Science and Society Programme in Specific Support Action of the European Commission. • The GFBR-Secretariat is based on and operates a fellowship scheme. • Functions: Maintaining the “institutional memory” and organizational continuity of the GFBR and raising funds to extend the Secretariat activities. • GFBR-Secretariat is housed by the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) • 50% FTE Ethics Officer • 2 Fellowships • The recipient of the 2007-2008 first Fellowship is Xiuqin Wang • Next call • Training and Opportunity

19. Current partners

20. Thank You!