About the Training
This comprehensive bioethics training course was developed in response to the urgent need for context-sensitive ethical frameworks in African research, healthcare, and policy settings. Developed by the Africa Bioethics Network (ABN), the course provides a strong foundation in core bioethical principles while emphasizing their practical application within African settings. While international frameworks such as the Declaration of Helsinki, CIOMS Guidelines, and the Belmont Report provide foundational standards, their application in Africa must be grounded in contextual realities-communitarian norms, indigenous practices, traditional leadership systems, and resource constraints. The program fills a critical gap in current bioethics education by bridging global standards with African knowledge systems, lived realities, and philosophical traditions.
Key Achievements
Applied ethics practice : Participants engaged with case studies drawn from real African research, health, and policy contexts, and worked to redesign existing institutional policies, review processes, and governance mechanisms.
Capstone project outputs : A total of 26 participants (65% completion rate) developed substantive capstone projects addressing identified gaps in institutional ethics governance.
Continental community of practice : The programme contributed to the establishment of a nascent continental community of practice in applied bioethics.
Institutional Impact : Feedback suggests that participants are beginning to translate learning into institutional‑level change.
