Thirteen Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) including representatives of the Solomon Islands Health Research and Ethics Review Board (SIHRERB) of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Mrs. Freda Pitakaka-Lusi, Chief Research Officer, National Director of Nursing Supervising and SIHRERB Secretariat and Dr. Leeanne Panisi, Head of Obstetrics & Gynecology and SIHRERB Member attended the Strengthening Research Ethics Governance of the Pacific Workshop from the 1st to 3rd May 2025 in Nadi, Fiji.
The objectives of the workshop were to:
1) build a foundation in ethics for international health research by providing case-based training for national ethics and research committees in PICTs;
2) develop a framework with ethics and research governance mechanisms to guide future independent decision-making and ethical oversight regarding the continued use of historical data collected from PICTs, facilitated through deliberation among ethics and research governance mechanisms; and
3) identify priorities for institutional capacity-building using the WHO tool for benchmarking ethics oversight of health-related research.
In his opening remarks Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, the Regional Director for the Western Pacific, World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that health research is a cornerstone of robust health systems, guiding policy and decision-making. He highlights that in Low and Middle-income Countries (LMICs), it is not a luxury but a necessity – an essential tool for the effective allocation of limited resources and the design of evidence-based health interventions that maximize impact.
Mrs. Lusi, Chief Research Officer, National Director of Nursing Supervising and SIHRERB Secretariat states that over the past decade, health research output in PICTs and Solomon Islands has grown, yet a major weakness persists which included the limited capacity for local research and ethics governance. She adds that internationally sponsored studies have frequently raised ethical concerns, including inadequate consent processes, insufficient community engagement and a lack of local oversight, and highlighting that “to ensure that health research in PICTs and SI is transparent, culturally appropriate, locally relevant and beneficial to national health systems, stronger research governance is urgently needed. Hence, the need for the SIHRERB representatives to attend this workshop is crucial”, said Mrs. Lusi.
The workshop concluded with initial recommendations for the PICTs that includes, a comprehensive mapping exercise and situation analysis and benchmarking mission in SI with support from WHOCCs to strengthen the current SIHRERB governance structure tailored to existing country context and research systems.
A combined effort of various institutions; Pacific Academy of Sciences, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Fiji National University, led and funded by the WHO Regional Office and WHO Headquarters has enabled the event to a successful completion.
End///
-MHMS
