Pre-positioned Outbreak Research: The Joint Medical Emerging Diseases Intervention Clinical Capability Experience in Uganda
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health security
Abstract
The West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak of 2014-2016 demonstrated that responses to viral hemorrhagic fever
epidemics must go beyond emergency stopgap measures and should incorporate high-quality medical care and clinical
research. Optimal patient management is essential to improving outcomes, and it must be implemented regardless of
geographical location or patient socioeconomic status. Coupling clinical research with improved care has a significant
added benefit: Improved data quality and management can guide the development of more effective supportive care
algorithms and can support regulatory approvals of investigational medical countermeasures (MCMs), which can alter
the cycle of emergency response to reemerging pathogens. However, executing clinical research during outbreaks of high-consequence pathogens is complicated and comes with ethical and research regulatory challenges. Aggressive care
and excellent quality control must be balanced by the requirements of an appropriate infection prevention and control
posture for healthcare workers and by overcoming the resource limitations inherent in many outbreak settings. The Joint
Mobile Emerging Disease Intervention Clinical Capability was established in 2015 to develop a high-quality clinical trial
capability in Uganda to support rigorous evaluation of MCMs targeting high-consequence pathogens like Ebola virus.
This capability assembles clinicians, laboratorians, clinical researchers, logisticians, and regulatory professionals trained in
infection prevention and control and in good clinical and good clinical laboratory practices. The resulting team is
prepared to provide high-quality medical care and clinical research during high-consequence outbreaks.
Description
Keywords
Medical countermeasures, Infectious diseases, Viral hemorrhagic fevers, Outbreak response, Uganda
Citation
Martins, K. A., Ayebare, R. R., Bhadelia, N., Kiweewa, F., Waitt, P., Mimbe, D., ... & Kibuuka, H. (2020). Pre-positioned Outbreak Research: The Joint Medical Emerging Diseases Intervention Clinical Capability Experience in Uganda. Health security, 18(2), 114-124. DOI: 10.1089/hs.2019.0112