The Association for Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria (AGCPN), a non-profit organization founded in 2006, was established to address the professional development, educational and networking needs of clinical research professionals in Nigeria in order to attract clinical research projects to Nigeria. In furtherance of this mission, AGCPN organizes several academic activities, including research-related training programmes and meetings, and the Annual Clinical Trial Summits.

 

The fourth edition of the Clinical Trials Summit is scheduled to take place from June 7 - 9, 2016 in Abuja. As with the previous editions, the Summit will bring together clinical trials stakeholders globally & especially across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, with diverse experiences in public health, clinical research, clinical care, epidemiology, administration and management, as well as key players in the pharmaceutical industry. It will provide an invaluable platform for interacting with high-level experts, learn about the latest developments in the field of clinical research and public health, and share research findings with colleagues from different parts of the world.

 

The clinical trials summit this year will be focusing on the Role Clinical Trials Could Play in Public Health Emergencies - both before the emergencies arise (emergency preparedness) and when they arise. This focus has been informed by the recent Ebola outbreak that took the West African sub-region by storm resulting in thousands of deaths, and the subsequent international rally to look for an effective Ebola vaccine.

 

The specific objectives of the conference are

 

To bring together experts in clinical research and public health to explore the options for building a sustainable culture of research in sub-Saharan Africa in support of the development objectives of the constituent countries.

To review the role medical research has played in global public health emergencies in the past in order to draw lessons for the future.

To explore ways of involving the private sector in facilitating a culture of research in sub-Saharan Africa

To explore ways of exploiting public private partnerships in advancing clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa

To provide a platform for investigators to share their research work

To educate postgraduate students (including Residents in training), public health practitioners, clinicians and other health care workers on public health emergencies

To encourage collaborations between experts from different countries, and with leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.

This year, the Summit will feature two innovations:

 

Abstract-driven sessions which will feature both oral and poster presentations

Clinical Trial Exhibition and Fair

 

The 4th Clinical Trials Summit, which is the only summit devoted to discussing clinical research in relation to contemporary issues in sub-Saharan Africa, will build on previous successes by providing a unique platform for international interchange on clinical research and public health emergencies. In addition, for public health practitioners, clinicians and Residents preparing for the Primary, Part 1 and Part 2 Fellowship examinations in the different Postgraduate Medical Colleges across the region, particularly the West African sub-region, this summit is a unique opportunity to update your knowledge on public health emergencies as well as enhance your knowledge of clinical research. All the plenary speakers have been carefully selected to reflect the diversity of participants expected at the Summit. For those actively engaged in research or early career investigators, the Summit will provide a platform for sharing your work with an international audience and to gain new ideas for further work. Many participants in the previous conferences have traced their subsequent involvement in clinical research to the motivations provided by those meetings. The 4th clinical trials summit promises to be even more motivational.

 

Who should attend?

Clinicians, public health practitioners, clinical scientists, Residents in training, particularly those preparing for the Primary, Part 1 and Part 2 Fellowship examinations of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African Postgraduate Medical College; private medical practitioners, Pharmacists, Nurses, Medical Lab Scientists, those working in the pharmaceutical industries, key players in the pharmaceutical industry, representatives of government, PhD students, non-governmental organizations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and others interested in public health emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

We look forward to welcoming you at the Summit

 

Professor Ifeoma Okoye

On behalf of the Organizing Committee

 

Ifeoma Okoye, MBBS, FWACS, FMCR

Chairperson, Association for Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria (AGCPN)

Professor of Radiology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

 

African Coordinator of Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) of Univ. Of Miami