Benefits of Clinical Trials in Africa

Conducting clinical studies in Africa is very rewarding. Sponsors stand to benefit from reduced overall costs and very supportive regulatory bodies. Considering the high population of Nigeria, patient recruitment is not as challenging as in developed countries of Europe, USA and Canada due to relatively less competition. Apart from the high prevalence of certain diseases - diabetes, hepatitis B, cardiovascular, chronic lower respiratory disease, influenza and pneumonia other conditions such cancer also are becoming important health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The increasing numbers of tertiary and highly specialised centres coupled with very enthusiastic medical professionals makes study conduct increasingly easier. Most African countries have adopted and signed into law ICH GCP. Ethical structures are being revamped with quality improvement a key priority. The intellectual property issues that are common in some Asian countries is not a major problem in most sub-Saharan African countries.