Africa’s health research laws ‘outdated’ and ‘restrictive’

Fresh survey ‘a clarion call’ for lawmakers on the continent

Many African countries have outdated laws that restrict adoption of medical developments, a trio of African health researchers have warned.

The three—Juliet Nabyonga-Orem and James Avoka Asamani from the World Health Organization and Michael Makanga from the Hague-based European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership—studied health research legislation in 35 African countries. Twelve other countries were approached for the survey but did not respond.