Online Course on Laboratory Animal Science for African scientists and Institutional Ethical Review Board Members
Many African countries are using the development of their Pharma industry as a route to economic development. Attention to animal welfare and care, and experimental design is critical in ensuring that these animal studies translate into clinical practice. However, Africa has an extreme shortage of individuals with the knowledge and skills to care for and use research animals. This deficit is a Grand Challenge in itself, hindering the ability of Africa to undertake world-leading research to address its specific health challenges. Opportunities for education and training in research animal sciences across the continent are extremely fragmented and restricted to specific countries. Animal ethics committees are in their infancy or non-existent. There have been limited interventions, led principally by the applicants, to address this knowledge and skills Grand Challenge.
However, such training modalities can’t cover long term lagged need of the community and professionals. Therefore, setting up online training for Ethiopian as well as African scientists and biomedical graduate students has a paramount role to improve biomedical research and an ethical review process and to give proper attention to animal welfare.