12th ANREC proceedings (full report)

Abstract

These proceedings document presentations, panel discussions, keynote addresses, case studies, and stakeholder engagements from the 12th Annual National Research Ethics Conference (ANREC), held on 21-22 October 2025 in Kampala, Uganda. The conference explored the theme "Communities as Partners: Strengthening Community Engagement in Research" and examined ethical, regulatory, and practical dimensions of community participation in research. Key discussions addressed evolving global and national research ethics frameworks, updates to the Declaration of Helsinki, revised Ugandan research guidelines, post-research responsibilities, ethical challenges in controlled human infection studies, adaptive trial designs, emergency and outbreak research, animal welfare, traditional and alternative medicine research, gene therapy, artificial intelligence, data ownership, and intellectual property rights. Participants emphasized the importance of collaborative partnerships between researchers and communities, equitable benefit-sharing, inclusive research governance, culturally responsive research methods, and accountability throughout the research lifecycle. The proceedings further highlight lessons learned from community engagement initiatives, vaccine trials, public health emergencies, and emerging research technologies, while providing recommendations for strengthening ethical oversight, participant protection, and sustainable research systems in Uganda and the region.