Ministry of Health & Prevention and Sanofi uphold commitment to support scientific research and to strengthen the clinical trials environment in UAE

Under the patronage of H.E. Abdul Rahman Al Owais, UAE Minister of Health & Prevention, the “Good Clinical Practice (GCP)” Training commenced today in continuation to the efforts of the ‘Integration Initiative’ launched in September 2014. 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 7, 2016:  The Ministry of Health and Prevention, represented by The Public Health Policy and Licensing Sector, and in partnership with Sanofi, organized the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, upholding the commitment towards advancing clinical research practices in UAE, as a part of executing the “Integration Initiative”.

Local and regional participation in the workshop
Conducted by Brookwood International Academy, the event saw participation of delegates from the Ministry of Health & Prevention and local health authorities in the UAE. It was also be attended by GCC officials from the public health, research policy & regulation sector; officials and members of the Ethics Committee in UAE; as well as healthcare professionals from the public and private sector.

Capacity building and training for research professionals
His Excellency Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing at UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention, said that The Ministry of Health and Prevention is working towards developing standards of scientific research and clinical practices, according to the best international protocols. The aim is to reinforce the Ministry’s efforts to achieve best practices in the field of healthcare research, as part of its strategy to provide excellent healthcare services for the society according to international standards.

Dr. Al Amiri also stated that Good Clinical Practice entails executional regulations bound by performance and assessment measures, as well as analysis to ensure the credibility and accuracy of data. He added that the aim of GCP is to protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of people participating in clinical trials, ensuring quality and credibility of data collected, while following standards and protocols to conduct clinical trials.

Further Dr. Al Amiri highlighted that the Ministry’s strategy prioritizes continuous medical education. Therefore it supports the development of the skills of healthcare practitioners and technicians that work at the Ministry’s hospitals and health centers to provide quality healthcare for all. The long term vision is to ensure the health and happiness of society.

Advancing the clinical trials environment in the UAE through knowledge building
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is an international ethical and scientific quality standard set for monitoring, designing, conducting, recording, analyzing and reporting clinical trials involving human subjects. The adherence to the mentioned standards is obligatory for all clinical trials to be carried out in the UAE.

Over two days, participants will have the opportunity to gain insights on range of subjects related to Good Clinical Practices. Beginning with the fundamentals, they will have a session on the purpose of Good Clinical Practice, the history of the Helsinki Declaration and the development of GCP. Further they will have a refresher on basic GCP terms such as sponsor, investigator, CRO, study documents, adverse events, etc. They will also learn about the critical path of clinical trials, documentation processes and the roles and responsibilities of ethics committees, sponsors and investigators. Lastly, sessions will focus on the patient safety aspect. This includes the importance of informed consent in the clinical research process, understanding how GCP affects different clinical development activities and, safety reporting in clinical trials and study data collection.

Strengthening Public Private Partnerships
"At Sanofi, we are delighted to extend our partnership with the Ministry of Health & Prevention for the “Good Clinical Practice (GCP)” Training as a part of the ‘Integration Initiative’. Through this initiative our endeavor is to advance and support scientific thinking, which can drive the best results for maximum patient benefit. With a focus on safeguarding the health and safety of people in UAE, we aim to empower the scientific community by equipping them with the highest standards of skill and expertise in clinical trials, and also achieve our objective of furthering medical education and driving scientific innovation." said Jean-Paul Scheuer, Country Chair & General Manager for Sanofi Gulf.

Strong healthcare foundation supported by clinical research and scientific thinking
With the rising incidences of communicable and non-communicable diseases, furthering clinical research is the need of the hour. To safeguard the interest of people in the UAE, all clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with ethical principles, sound scientific evidence and clear detailed protocols. The GCP training initiative is a stepping stone towards building a strong healthcare environment in the country, backed by clinical research and scientific thinking. The ultimate aim is to ensure the promise of safe and effective new treatments that address the unmet healthcare needs of patients, and better position stakeholders to evaluate clinical research and become active partners in the process.