Research Issues That Are Critical in Developing Countries

Community engagement

Work collaboratively with host communities that share a common goal and interest.

Public engagement

Provide people with trustworthy information, and elicit and adopt public input.

Cultural acceptability

Identify and be sensitive to cultural barriers and context.

Gender

Empower and educate women, who are often subject to abuse, discrimination, and exploitation.

Post-trial obligations/benefit sharing

Share the benefits of research with the host communities and individual research participants and offer sustained care after completion.

Collaboration

Collaborate with local public and private sectors and help create sustainable scientific infrastructure.

Role of civil society organizations

Engage civil society and nongovernmental organizations working with local communities.

Affordability

Make new technology affordable and ensure equitable delivery.

Accessibility

Provide adequate equipment, facilities, and staff to ensure accessibility to poor, rural areas.

Regulations

Balance regulatory oversight and intellectual property protection with meeting peoples' needs in dire health emergencies.

Collection, management, and storage of tissue samples

Develop guidance on the use of human tissues in research.

Corruption and poor governance

Beware of corruption and lack of social and political infrastructure as obstacles to accessing new technology.

Unintended consequences

Consider and address consequences such as unintended promotion of sexual practice due to perceived benefits of vaccination and consequences of genetically modified organisms.