CBEC-KEMRI Bioethics Training Initiative

Practicum: Bioethics Grant Writing

Dates:

Online Sessions: May 9, May 30, June 28, July 19, Sept. 26; Oct. 3, 17 and 31, 2024

Physical Workshop: August 5 to 8

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  Following online sessions, a physical grant writing workshop led by CK-BTI co-director Dr. Elizabeth Bukusi was held from August 5-8. Group photo of participants with the facilitator.

The CK-BTI Hybrid Practicum on Bioethics Grant Writing was led by CK-BTI’s co-director Dr. Elizabeth Bukusi. Initially designed as a brief on-site workshop, it evolved into a longitudinal, hybrid program providing continuous support for participants throughout the grant-writing process. The on-site component was held in Karachi from August 5 to 8, with intensive hands-on

exercises, real-time peer reviews, and personalized feedback. This practicum was a first of its kind.

Workshop: Methods and Ethics of Health Research

Dates: May 13-15

Venue: Khyber Medical University, Mansehra, Pakistan

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  Dr. Arshad Altaf from the WHO EMRO office led a session with CBEC faculty members at Khyber Medical University in Mansehra, Pakistan. The session was part of a collaborative workshop on “Methods and Ethics of Health Research,” held from May 13-15, 2024.

This Pakistan based CK-BTI activity was held in collaboration with EMRO-WHO and Khyber

Medical University (KMU) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The objectives of the workshop were to:

• introduce participants to the basics of research
• highlight ethical challenges specific to health research including genetic research
• provide an overview of the ethical review process in Pakistan
• highlight the issues related to scientific misconduct contextualized to the realities of Pakistan

Workshop: Faculty Development in Bioethics Education

Dates: September 3-6

Mode: Physical, Nairobi, Kenya

This workshop targeted bioethics educators who are now teaching Master’s in Bioethics program at two Kenyan universities, Mount Kenya University and Amref International University. The workshop was facilitated by CBEC faculty, Dr. Bushra Shirazi and CBEC Associate Faculty, Dr. Muhammad Shahim Shamim. The purpose was to equip participants with practical strategies to deliver effective bioethics education.

Other Activities

Training in Bioethics Pedagogy and Assessment Tools: To enhance capacity and build a question bank for assessment, CBEC runs a series of virtual workshops for bioethics educators based in Kenya.

Workshop: Bioethics Pedagogy

Mode: Physical

Dates: December-11, 2023

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  CBEC faculty conducted a Bioethics Pedagogy workshop on December 11, 2023, for PGD students beginning teaching projects at their institutions.

Following the end of the fourth module at CBEC during its two academic programs, a bioethics pedagogy workshop was run specifically targeting PGD students who would initiate their teaching projects in their own institutions. This workshop was considered useful in building skills to teach key topics in bioethics, and the use of different methods to achieve learning outcomes.

Workshop: Train the Trainer: Using Cases for Assessment in Bioethics: Using Cases for Assessment in Bioethics

Mode: Online

Dates: September 29-30, 2022

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  “Train the Trainer” workshop focused on using case studies for assessment in bioethics was held on September 29-30, 2022, for Kenyan participants led by facilitators from Pakistan.

Targeted for participants from Kenya, this workshop was led by facilitators from Pakistan who have experience in conducing assessments in bioethics degree programs. During the workshop, participants were taught how to develop objectives and cases for assessment along with the development of rubrics that can aid for consistency in marking.

Workshop: Ethics During Public Health Emergencies

Mode: In-Person

Dates: October 20-22, 2021

• From October 20-22, 2021, in this hybrid workshop on Ethics During Public Health Emergencies, facilitators and participants from Pakistan and Kenya attended in person and online.

This workshop was conducted in a hybrid format with a few facilitators and participants joining online. Prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the workshop focused on issues related to public health emergencies including inequities in vaccine distribution, the differences between public health research and public health surveillance within the emergency context. Facilitators included national and international ones. Participants included those from Pakistan as well as from Kenya

Workshops: Bioethics Pedagogy

Mode: In-person

Dates: Karachi (November 11-13, 2021) and Islamabad (December 6-8, 2021)

• Dr. Shahid Shamim and Dr. Bushra Shirazi (seen in the picture) facilitated the Bioethics Pedagogy workshop held in Karachi (November 11-13, 2021), with Pakistani participants attending in person and African participants joining online.
• Participants and faculty of the Bioethics Pedagogy Workshop had dinner together in Islamabad after a long day of learning activities. The workshop was held from December 6-8, 2021.

Targeted for participants from Pakistan, these workshops sought to introduce different teaching methods best suitable for bioethics education. Led by Dr. Shahid Shamim, PhD in Medical Education and PGD in Biomedical Ethics, and Dr. Bushra Shirazi, who holds graduate degrees in both bioethics and medical education, these workshops were well-received.

1. Curriculum Development Workshop:

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  Dr. Shahid Shamim led a session on Curriculum Development Workshop Program, held in Lake Naivasha, Kenya, from February 10-13, 2020.

With the objective to train members in developing curriculum within bioethics suitable to contextual needs, a Curriculum Development Workshop Program was held at Lake Naivasha, on February 10-13, 2020. The total number of participants was 18, thirteen participants from Kenya and five participants from Pakistan including Prof. Aamir Jafarey, Ms. Sualeha Siddiq Shekhani, Dr. Bushra Shirazi, Dr. Shahid Shamim and Prof. Farhat Moazam. The workshop covered pertinent areas in curriculum designing including alignment of learning objectives with teaching methods and assessment strategies.

2. Certificate Courses (CC):

• Clinical Ethics
  • 
    Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir and Dr. Bushra Shirazi led a session, during the Clinical Ethics certificate course in Kenya, held from February 14-22, 2020.

   

  Thirty-four participants participated in the nine-day CC on Clinical Ethics on February 14-22. Teaching faculty from Pakistan included Drs. Farhat Moazam, Bushra Shirazi, Aamir Jafarey, Nida Wahid Bashir and Ms. Sualeha Shekhani. The objective of the Clinical Ethics workshop is to teach course participants about the basic concepts pertinent within the field of medicine, covering issues such as beginning of life, end of life along with training participants about the functioning of Hospital Ethics Committees. The participants from Kenya included people belonging from different fields, including medical doctors, clinical officers, nurses and others from healthcare facilities.

• Research Methods Certificate Course:
  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the latter part of the year 2020 saw a shift to the online teaching mode. An online workshop conducted over Zoom was held from May 11 to 15, 2020, attended by thirty-one participants, the course trained individuals in the conduct of research, basic research methodologies in both qualitative and quantitative domains, and review of research proposals.
• Research and Public Health Ethics Certificate Course:
  • 

   

  As the Covid-19 pandemic continued around the world, all teaching shifted online. The annual Research and Public Health Ethics Certificate course was conducted via Zoom from October 12 to 16, 2020. Attended by thirty-nine participants from different fields including those involved in public health and research, the course covered core areas and concepts in research ethics. Course faculty from Pakistan included Drs. Aamir Jafarey, Aasim Ahmad and Ms. Sualeha Shekhani. Indian counterparts included Drs. Amar Jesani and Vijayprasad Gopichandran.

3. Advisory Board Meetings:
Two advisory board meetings, with the purpose of providing updates regarding CK-BTI activities and also to discuss future plans were held in 2020. One on February 15, which included nine participants and the second one, was conducted online on September 1 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, involving eleven participants. Drs. Farhat Moazam and Aamir Jafarey attended both meetings from Pakistan.

4. MCQ Development Workshops:

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  All workshops turned online. One of the MCQs development workshop being carried out by Ms. Sualeha and Dr. Bushra via Zoom.

Five online (Zoom) faculty MCQ development workshops took place in the year 2020 which were attended by 33 participants from Kenya and Pakistan. The three faculty members from Pakistan were Dr. Bushra Shirazi, Ms. Sualeha Shekhani, and Prof. Aamir Jafarey. The objective of these workshops was for the faculty members to be trained on how to develop MCQs and objectives of the RM training by a member of the CK-BTI Curriculum Development Committee.

5. Curriculum Development Committee:
Three online (Zoom) Curriculum Development committee meetings were held in the year 2020. Two at the Mount Kenya University on July 8, Sept 17- 25, and was attended by sixteen participants. The second was held at Amref International University, Kenya on August 25, and was attended by eight participants. The purpose of these meetings was for CK-BTI curriculum development committee to introduce and explain to the Mount Kenya and Amref University Team the proposed PGD/MBE Curriculum.

6. Fundamentals of Bioethics Certificate Course:
An online (Zoom) Fundamentals of Bioethics CC Workshop was held on July 20-24, and was attended by thirty-six participants. This course involved training individuals in the conduct of research, clinicians, and anyone with a keen interest in bioethics.

7. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course:
An online (Zoom) Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course was held on August 18, and was attended by five participants. This mandatory course was taken by the CBEC PGD and MBE Kenyan scholars just before undergoing their course modules.

8. MCQ Development Meeting:
An online (Zoom) MCQ development meeting was held on Sept. 14-15, and was attended by eight participants, which included one Pakistani faculty as well Dr. Amar Jesani.
The objective of the meeting was for the Research and Public Health Ethics faculty to review the MCQs that had been developed to select the ones that would be administered as Pre and Posttests.

9. Research and Public Health Ethics Practicum:
An online (Zoom) Research and Public Health Ethics Practicum was held on Oct. 19-21, and was attended by ten participants. The purpose of the three-day practicum training facilitated by the KEMRI- Scientific, and Ethics Review Unit (SERU) gives hands-on experience and training on the functioning of an Institutional Ethics Review Committees (IERC).

Clinical Ethics Certificate Course , April 25 to May 3, 2019:

Thirty-five participants from Kenya participated in the two-week certificate course on clinical ethics. The certificate course covered a variety of topics including the concept of informed consent as applicable in different medical situations, privacy and confidentiality, pharma-physician interaction and the related concept of conflict of interest, medical error and negligence and so forth.

The program of the certificate course was again structured in such a way that international faculty was paired with local faculty, in order to enhance local capacity. Several of CBEC’s alumni from Kenya also conducted sessions on their own in this round.

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  Participants and Faculty during evaluation of the course.
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  CKBTI Faculty with course participants.

Research and Public Health Ethics Certificate Course and Practicum, October-November, 2019

Twenty-eight participants from Kenya, and four participants from Pakistan (32 in total) attended the week long certificate course that focused on Research and Public Health Ethics.

The program of the CC was structured in a way that international faculty enhanced the local capacity, with many of CBEC alumni in Kenya also leading some of the integral sessions.

The course was followed by a four-day long practicum that enabled the participants to view the working of an Ethical Review Committee that handles a large number of proposals.

Pre and post test surveys were conducted before and after the workshop in order to measure the effectiveness of the course, with feedback provided to the course participants on areas of improvement.

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  Participants during the Practicum learning the functioning of the Secretariat
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  Course participants engaged in a hands-on activity with Dr. Mala Ramanathan

Research Ethics and Public Health Ethics Certificate Course and Practicum, July 2018:

Twenty participants consisting of five Pakistani participants and 15 African participants (from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) for a week long Certificate Course (CC) in Research Ethics and Public Health Ethics. This was followed by a second week consisting of a Practicum consisting of 10 participants (5 Pakistani participants and 5 Kenyan participants).

The program of the CC was structured to facilitate pairing of guest faculty with local faculty, with the objective of enhancing local capacity.

The practicum in the second week was designed to provide hands on experience for the participants in managing and running a secretariat for a Research Ethics Committee (REC/IRB/ERC).

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  Dr. Amar Jesani and his co-instructor Ms. Caroline Kithinji taking a session.
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  A CBEC production “Testing Times” being used to discuss issues related to privacy and confidentiality.
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  Dr. Asad Raja taking a session on standards of care
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  The practicum group at the SERU secretariat for a field visit
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  Prof. Walter Jaoko taking a session on Contract Research Organizations
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  The Pakistani participants gather on the balcony with some of the faculty to capture the moment in this memorable picture
• 
  Dr. Mala Ramanathan doing the famous “gender walk”
  with the students, driving home the subtleties of
  the impact of gender in access to healthcare

Clinical Ethics Certificate Course, September 2018:

Thiry-one participants from different parts of Africa attended the five-day long certificate course in Clinical Ethics.

The program of the CC consisted of integral topics in Clinical Ethics such as medical error and negligence, privacy and confidentiality and necessity of informed consent. Local faculty was paired with international faculty from different parts of the world in order to build capacity.

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  Dr. Bushra Shirazi leading a discussion during the Curriculum Adaptation workshop
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  Participants engaged in a role play portraying a Hospital Ethics Consultation

Research Ethics course and Practicum:

Held over the course of one week, this certificate course trained 27 participants (23 Kenyan and 5 Pakistani scholars) in research ethics. The Pakistani students along with 5 Kenyan students were additionally provided Practicum training at the KEMRI Scientific and Ethics Review unit (SERU), to understand the workings of a REC secretariat.

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  Dr. Amar Jesani engaging with course participants
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  Dr. Asad Jamil Raja during his talk on research ethics
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  Learning the works of a REC secretariat

Clinical Ethics/Public Health course:

This certificate course trained 25 Kenyan scholars in the domain of clinical and public health ethics, giving them a flavor of various ethical dilemmas encountered, utilizing a variety of teaching tools including local CBEC visual productions.

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  Dr. Moazam engaging the students during an interactive discussion
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  Dr. Stephen Ombok Muhudhia during his talk

During the certificate courses, scholars from Pakistan, Kenya and Tanzania had an opportunity to attend the 2nd Bioethics Society of Kenya (BSK) conference. The Pakistani scholars who are alumni from CBEC-SIUT, presented their papers at the conference, and had an opportunity to interacted with international academics and researchers at the conference.

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  Dr. Abeer Salim presenting a paper at the conference
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  Dr. Nazli Hossain presenting a paper at the conference

Curriculum Adaptation:

A daylong meeting of the Curriculum Adaptation Committee was held at KEMRI to discuss the mechanisms of adapting the CBEC curriculum to suit the Kenyan requirements. Subcommittees were selected and mandated to develop a framework for the various courses to be offered through CK-BTI over the years.

Advisory Board:

The first advisory board meeting was held in 2017. During this meeting, Professor Walta Jaoko was elected the chair of the board for tenure of 2.5 years.