CBEC-KEMRI BIOETHICS TRAINING INITIATIVE

1 ABSTRACT 2 Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like Kenya and Pakistan face a double burden 3 of disease. This was escalated by the Covid-19 pandemic which enhanced inequity, 4 exploitation and inaccessibility to research outputs. The Covid pandemic also diversified the 5 research portfolio and Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in such settings grappled with 6 uncertainty while providing oversight to novel research initiatives. The growing number of 7 institutions of higher learning in Kenya and large number of institutions in Pakistan with both 8 social sciences and biomedical faculties emphasize the need to enhance human subject 9 protection and build capacity for both training and research in bioethics. To address current 10 and emerging ethical challenges, we propose diversification of the existing South to South 11 collaboration, between the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the Centre for 12 Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC). Building onto the work done in the past five years, 13 the CBEC-KEMRI Bioethics Training Initiative (CK-BTI) will establish the first blended 14 bioethics PGD and Masters level programs at 2 local Kenyan universities. To achieve 15 sustainability and to ensure the timely completion, CK-BTI will provide faculty for both 16 programs, and conduct training in ethics pedagogy including development of teaching and 17 examination tools while also providing training in mentorship. This will also a ensure a critical 18 mass of well-trained faculty for the two new Kenyan programs and spill over to support other 19 graduate level bioethics training programs which are currently being established in both 20 Kenya and Pakistan. Capacity building for other stakeholders including RECs members and 21 researchers in Kenya will be achieved by expanding the number of certificate courses 22 offered every year and introducing a new training to target lay members of REC. Rapid 23 capacity building initiatives including workshops in research ethics and research 24 methodology will also be introduced in Pakistan. Finally to support and grow leaders in 25 global bioethics in both countries, workshops to develop skills in grantsmanship and 26 publication will be held to expand bioethics research output. This contextual needs-driven 27 multi-pronged program ultimately seeks to enhance quality of research and enhance human 28 subject protection in resource-constrained settings.