TRACK B
Evidence Generation Readiness (emergency)
​​Research preparedness is critical to mitigating the devastating effects of disease outbreaks. A robust system must prioritize coordination, capacity development, and sustainability to effectively address emerging health threats.
Track B
Building a Stronger Research Preparedness Ecosystem in West Africa
​​Research preparedness is critical to mitigating the devastating effects of disease outbreaks. A robust system must prioritize coordination, capacity development, and sustainability to effectively address emerging health threats. Through Track B of the ARC-WA project, we aim to strengthen regional capabilities in research governance, clinical trial readiness, and cross-border collaboration.
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Africa CDC’s and West African Health Organization (WAHO)'s strategic priorities, from strengthening integrated health systems and surveillance to expanding health product innovation, serve as a framework for this effort. These priorities align with the workshop's outputs, creating a unified vision for advancing research governance and capacity in West Africa.
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Understanding the Current Landscape​
Throughout 2024, the Technical Coordinating Partner (TCP) conducted a landscape and stakeholder analysis in order to produce a comprehensive assessment of the research ecosystem in West Africa. This process comprised desk-based reviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions across two workshops in the region. At the end of the process, the TCP was able to identify key strengths and gaps, with general consensus being reached at a regional workshop comprising key regional stakeholders in Accra in November 2024.
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Some countries demonstrated strong national coordination for outbreak response, active research institutions, and increasing political commitment. However, challenges remain, including limited prioritization of research agendas, insufficient capacity for clinical trials, and gaps in regulatory systems and cross-country collaboration.
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Proposed Collaborative Solutions for Research Preparedness
To strengthen research preparedness across West Africa, consensus was reached for six potential engagement solutions :
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National Research Prioritization: Inclusive consultations and piloting tools to set national research priorities.
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Regional Coordination: Strengthening coordination by leveraging existing governance structures across countries.
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Capacity Building: Expanding clinical research capacity through site assessments, training programs, and the hub-and-spoke model.
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Community Engagement: Building trust and ensuring equitable participation through better community involvement.
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Cross-Border Collaboration: Streamlining regulatory and ethical review processes to enable more seamless collaboration.
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Sustainability: Advocating for innovative financing solutions and long-term political support for research preparedness.
Key actions for Track B
The TCP are in the process of writing up the findings of their landscape and stakeholder analysis, as well as developing engagement plans for the six proposed solutions outlined above.
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Working with Africa CDC, WAHO, CEPI, the project team is developing a manuscript for publication to summarize the findings so far and to formalize the proposed future direction of the efforts needed to improve research preparedness in West Africa.
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