加强太平洋岛国的研究伦理治理，斐济楠迪，2025年5月1日至3日：会议报告

1−3 May 2025Nadi, Fiji WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC RS/2025/GE/10(FJI) MEETING REPORT STRENGTHENING RESEARCH ETHICS GOVERNANCEIN THE PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES Convened by: WORLD HEALTHORGANIZATIONREGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC PACIFIC ACADEMY OF SCIENCES THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY Nadi, Fiji1−3 May 2025 Not for sale Printed and distributed by: World Health OrganizationRegional Office for the Western PacificManila, Philippines May, 2025 NOTE The views expressed in this report are those of the participants of theworkshop,StrengtheningResearchEthicsGovernance in thePacificIslandCountries,and do not necessarily reflect the policies of theconveners. This reportwasprepared by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific forMember States in the Region and for those who participated in theworkshop,StrengtheningResearchEthicsGovernance in thePacificIslandCountries,inNadi, Fiji,from1 to 3 May 2025. CONTENTS BACKGROUND....................................................................................................................................................1OBJECTIVES.........................................................................................................................................................1PARTICIPANTS....................................................................................................................................................2DISCUSSION/HIGHLIGHTS AND CHALLENGES...........................................................................................2CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................................................................................3NEXT STEPS.........................................................................................................................................................3 ANNEX 1. LIST OF PARTICIPANTSANNEX 2. PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES STRENGTHENING RESEARCH ETHICS GOVERNANCEIN THE PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES MEETING REPORT BACKGROUND Health research is a cornerstone of robust health systems, guiding policy and decision-making.It isnot a luxury but a necessity − an essential tool for the effective allocation of limited resources and thedesign of evidence-based health interventions that maximize impact. For decades, WHO haschampioned efforts to integrate high-quality research into health strategies, emphasizing equity,innovation and the importance of ethical governance. Paradoxically, in countries and contexts wherehealth research is most needed, both research capacity and output are often the most constrained. Thischallenge is particularly pronounced in Pacific island countriesand areas(PICs), where geographicisolation, small populations and limited institutional research capacity further compound existingbarriers. Over the past decade, health research output in PICs has grown, yet a major weakness persists: thelimited capacity for local research and ethics governance. Internationally sponsored studies havefrequently raised ethical concerns, including inadequate consent processes, insufficient communityengagement and a lack of local oversight. Crucially, a critical component ofanydiscussionistheethical implications of continuing to use historical specimens in international health research. Withrapid advancements in genomics and the growing reliance on historical specimens, the need for robustethical frameworks tailored to the unique contexts of PICs has never been greater. To ensure that health research inthePICs is transparent, culturally appropriate, locally relevant andbeneficial to national health systems, stronger research governance is urgently needed. A workshop on strengthening research ethics governance in thePICs wasco-organized by the WorldHealthOrganization(WHO),thePacific Academy of Science (PAS) and the Pacific Community(SPC). The workshopconvenednational ethics and research committees, along withpolicy-makersfrom across thePacificto identify entry points for strengthening researchethicsgovernance andoversightin thePICs. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the workshopwere: (1)to build a foundation in ethics for international health research by providing case-basedtraining for national ethics and research committees in PICs;(2)to develop a framework with ethics and research governance mechanisms to guide futureindependent decision-making and ethical oversight regarding the continued use of historicaldata collected from PICs, facilitated through deliberation among ethics and researchgovernance mechanisms; and(3)to identify priorities for institutional capacity-building using the WHO tool for benchmarkingethics oversight of health-related research. PARTICIPANTS The workshopon strengthening research ethics governance in thePICswas organized in Nadi, Fiji,from 1 to 3 May 2025.Itbrought together24representatives from13PICs–Cook Islands, Fiji,Kiribati, Marshall Islands,the