The glacial pace in which clinical trials are often rolled out on the African continent is a perennial problem — with protocols and regulatory approvals barricading the race to a vaccine or drug. By the time trials commence, an outbreak might have already started winding down, which hinders the opportunity for data-gathering during an active outbreak.
The African continent carries a quarter of the global disease burden but accounts for less than 3% of clinical trials.
Some public health experts are galvanizing to turn this around. This includes a new initiative launched in December, called PANTHER, which is a pan-African platform for emergency research and preparedness. Their researchers hope to prepare about 80% of the groundwork for trialsbefore an outbreak — with the remaining work to include adapting trials to local contexts and the characteristics of the disease.
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
