Biobanking Challenges & Opportunities in Africa
Researchers face significant challenges in accessing African biospecimens due to regulatory, ethical, logistical, and infrastructural barriers. However, solutions are gradually emerging.
Summary of the Challenges
Researchers encounter numerous challenges when trying to access biospecimens from African biobanks. These difficulties stem from regulatory, ethical, infrastructural, and logistical barriers. By addressing these issues, access can improve and partnerships can be strengthened.
Regulatory and Ethical Barriers
African countries have varied regulations for biobanking and biospecimen use, making compliance difficult. Moreover, strict consent policies, including community approvals, add complexity. This fragmentation further complicates the process of obtaining biospecimens. Past exploitation in medical research has also created mistrust. Thus, biotech companies must show local benefits and meet stringent ethical guidelines to gain trust.
Infrastructure Limitations
Many African countries lack the infrastructure needed for biobanking. This includes limited storage facilities and standardized processes, which results in inconsistent sample quality. Additionally, biobanks often struggle to link samples with critical genomic data, thus reducing their value for research.
Logistical Challenges
Transporting biospecimens presents significant logistical hurdles. Cold chain logistics, essential for maintaining sample integrity, are often unavailable in underdeveloped regions. In addition, shipping delays and inadequate sample handling further complicate the process. As a result, these logistical issues drive up costs, making sample collection and transport more expensive for biotech companies.
Trust and Historical Mistrust
Mistrust from historical exploitation remains a significant barrier. Therefore, biotech companies must establish transparent partnerships and clearly demonstrate how local communities will benefit from their research. Furthermore, governments are increasingly aware of the value of biospecimens, leading to complex negotiations around intellectual property and profit-sharing.
Data Sovereignty and Limited Representation
Many African countries prefer to maintain control over their genomic and health data, which limits data sharing with foreign companies. Consequently, African populations are underrepresented in global genomic databases despite the continent’s genetic diversity. This underrepresentation reduces the usefulness of available biospecimens for certain types of research.
Conclusion
These barriers make accessing biospecimens from African biobanks difficult. Nevertheless, ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure, regulation, and trust are gradually helping to overcome these challenges.
References
de Vries J, Munung SN, Matimba A, McCurdy S, Ouwe Missi Oukem-Boyer O, Staunton C, Yakubu A, Tindana P; H3Africa Consortium. Regulation of genomic and biobanking research in Africa: a content analysis of ethics guidelines, policies and procedures from 22 African countries. BMC Med Ethics. 2017 Feb 2;18(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12910-016-0165-6. PMID: 28153006; PMCID: PMC5289015.
Staunton C, Moodley K. Challenges in biobank governance in Sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Med Ethics. 2013 Sep 11;14:35. doi: 10.1186/1472-6939-14-35. PMID: 24025667; PMCID: PMC3849982.
Mendy M, Caboux E, Sylla BS, Dillner J, Chinquee J, Wild C; BCNet survey participants. Infrastructure and facilities for human biobanking in low- and middle-income countries: a situation analysis. Pathobiology. 2014;81(5-6):252-260. doi: 10.1159/000362093. Epub 2015 Mar 16. PMID: 25792214.
Positive Developments
A number of African countries have made significant strides in building infrastructure and establishing supportive regulations, which facilitate easier access to biospecimens for biotech companies. For example, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, Rwanda, and Egypt have notably advanced in addressing these challenges. Their efforts, combined with global initiatives such as FIND and IARC, are helping to bridge gaps in research capacity and improve the accessibility of critical biospecimen resources across the continent.
South Africa
South Africa leads in biobanking infrastructure. It has robust institutions like the South African National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and South African Medical Research Council. Global collaborations and aligned regulatory frameworks make it easier for biotech companies to access biospecimens.
Kenya
Kenya has enhanced its biobanking capabilities through collaborations with international organizations. The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is at the forefront of genomic research. Additionally, ethical review boards and evolving regulations further support access to biospecimens.
Uganda
Uganda benefits from partnerships in infectious disease research. The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and its participation in projects like H3Africa boost its biobanking infrastructure. Moreover, Uganda’s developing regulatory framework supports easier access for researchers.
Nigeria
Nigeria’s role in biobanking is growing, particularly through the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID). Thanks to its involvement in H3Africa, Nigeria has strengthened its infrastructure, and its improving regulatory frameworks make the country more accessible for biotech research.
Botswana
Botswana, known for its HIV research efforts, has established strong biobanking protocols. The Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership (BHP) is a key contributor. Its ethical guidelines and robust infrastructure make it attractive for genomic research.
Rwanda
Rwanda has invested heavily in its healthcare infrastructure, and partnerships with global organizations are helping build its biobanking capacity. Moreover, centralized health data systems further support the management of biospecimens.
Egypt
When it comes to biobanking, Egypt is a leader in Northern Africa. The country has advanced healthcare and research infrastructure, particularly in cancer research. Institutions like the National Cancer Institute and Cairo University play a pivotal role in biospecimen collection. Egypt’s regulatory frameworks are clearer, making it easier for international biotech companies to navigate.
The FIND Initiative
FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics) works across Africa to improve biobanking and diagnostic infrastructure. By strengthening local capabilities and ensuring ethical standards, FIND makes biospecimens more accessible for biotech research.
IARC
IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), supports cancer research across Africa. The organization aids in developing biobank networks and facilitates the collection of high-quality biospecimens, particularly for cancer-related research.
Conclusion
Countries like South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, Rwanda, and Egypt stand out due to their advanced infrastructures and clearer regulations. Additionally, initiatives like FIND and IARC play essential roles in improving access to biospecimens.
Webinar 1
Dr. Adaeze Oreh, Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Nigeria and former Country Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the National Blood Service Commission, Nigeria, delivered a talk at the Biosample Hub webinar on 24th November 2022. She emphasized the critical importance of strong regulation and governance in African biobanking. Key points included:
Overview of Biobanking
Biobanking involves the process of collecting and storing biospecimens for research. This practice became particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. To function effectively, biobanks must ensure proper access to specimens, informed consent, and benefit-sharing.
African Challenges
Africa faces several challenges, including ethical concerns, limited resources, and inadequate infrastructure. Additionally, many countries suffer from a lack of skilled personnel, which exacerbates the problem. As a result, weak regulatory frameworks contribute to exploitative practices, as seen during the West African Ebola outbreak.
Exploitation and Parachute Research
Often, researchers from high-income countries exploit African samples, conducting studies and publishing results without giving proper credit to local collaborators. Due to these weak regulations, exploitation continues unchecked.
The Need for Strong Governance
Many African nations currently lack clear or updated regulations for biobanking. This weakens accountability and enables unethical practices to thrive. Therefore, clear and flexible rules are essential for consent, data sharing, and sample ownership.
Issues of Trust
Trust between participants, researchers, and institutions is crucial. Unfortunately, past unethical practices have significantly eroded trust in many low- and middle-income countries. To rebuild confidence, both engagement and transparency are necessary.
A Call to Action
African researchers must lead biobanking initiatives. Ethical reuse of samples should prioritize African-specific research. International collaborations should be fair, with African institutions given preference for access to resources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dr. Oreh stressed that without stronger governance and regulations, Africa’s biobanking potential will remain limited. Protecting against exploitation is key to building local research capacity. Only through these measures can Africa take a leading role in biobanking research on the continent.
Webinar 2
Dr. Zisis Kozlakidis, Head of Laboratory Services and Biobanking at IARC/WHO in Lyon, France, delivered a talk at the Biosample Hub webinar on 24th November 2022. He focused on the challenges and progress made in utilizing biospecimens from sub-Saharan Africa. Key points included:
The Growing Importance of Biobanking
Biobanking plays a crucial role in supporting precision medicine. The demand for biobanking services continues to grow globally. In addition to expanding facilities, biobanks are now more involved in patient management, data handling, and consent processes.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s Challenges
The region faces significant barriers, including limited infrastructure, leadership, and funding. While some progress has been made, much work still remains. Furthermore, the lack of detailed data makes it difficult to address issues effectively.
Quality Control and Data Issues
Many biobanks in sub-Saharan Africa rely on legacy systems and primarily collect blood samples. Quality control is critical to ensure reliable research outcomes. However, systematic reviews on data quality across African countries are still missing.
Improvement Efforts
Since 2017, IARC has promoted improved standards by publishing minimum technical requirements for cancer research biobanks. Training programs and qualifications have been developed to support African professionals. Furthermore, local training in biobanking has begun in countries like Morocco and Egypt.
Impact of COVID-19
The pandemic accelerated digital transformation, particularly in healthcare. This highlighted the increasing importance of data management within biobanks. In addition, the crisis created an urgent need for stronger regulations and trust in digital health systems.
Outlook for the Future
Dr. Kozlakidis expects biobanking complexity to increase as data is reused in new and innovative ways. He also emphasized the growing focus on ethics, including preventing the misuse of samples and data. In addition, he encouraged international researchers to collaborate with African institutions, ensuring equal participation in research.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dr. Kozlakidis highlighted the need for continuous efforts to improve infrastructure and collaboration. Local training, better standards, and ethical oversight will help strengthen biobanking in sub-Saharan Africa.
Reference
Mendy M, Caboux E, Lawlor RT, Wright J, Wild CP. Common Minimum Technical Standards and Protocols for Biobanks Dedicated to Cancer Research. Lyon (FR): International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2017. PMID: 33539055.
