Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Sandra Realpe (GFBR-Secretariat) Carel IJsselmuiden (COHRED, Director) The 8th Global Forum - on- Bioethics in Research Lithuania, June 2007

Background Data on Fora 1-7 The Secretariat Fellowship Programme

First meeting initiated 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 platform specifically provided to 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 participants from over a two-or three-day period. Background

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. Mission

To strengthen the protection 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. Specific aims

Where has the forum been held?

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 GFBR1 - Bethesda, USA

October, 14-15, 2000 Capacity Building for Ethics Review in Developing Countries, Benefiting the host Community WHO Number of participants = % 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 Here a developing country is referred to as low-income and middle-income economies " GFBR2 - Bangkok, Thailand

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 = % of participants were from developed countries 61% were from developing countries

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

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

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

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

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

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

GFBR8 – Vilnius, Lithuania Number of participants Fora 1-7 ( ) = 880 Fora 8 (2007) _____ 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

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 Fellowship Programme COHRED GFBR-Secretariat is housed by the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) 50% FTE Ethics Officer 2 Fellowships The recipient of the first Fellowship is Xiuqin Wang Next call Training and Opportunity

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