The Gambia has made significant strides towards strengthening national health research systems with the successful validation of a National Health Research Governance Framework, according to the World Health Organization in a statement on Friday.
The WHO described this as a milestone resulting from its support to a structured, inclusive process bringing together key stakeholders across government institutions, research bodies, academia, development partners and opinion leaders in the field.
The WHO praised the role of health research in guiding policy decisions, improving service delivery, and addressing public health priorities.
It observed that the rapid growth of research activities in The Gambia has exposed gaps in coordination, ethical oversight, and regulatory systems.
”These challenges highlighted the urgent need for a harmonized national framework to ensure quality, accountability, and protection of research participants” said the statement.
With technical and financial support from WHO, Gambia’s health ministry initiated a four-phase process to address these gaps, the first phase of which focused on the formation of National Health Research Technical Working Group and its Terms of Reference (TOR).
The other phases are to develop standardized Terms of Reference (TORs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for a National Health Research Governance Structure and Ethics Committee.
This was followed by a national review meeting that refined and strengthened the draft framework through technical discussions and stakeholder input.
The process culminated in a two-day validation meeting held in June 2026, where stakeholders reached consensus and officially endorsed the governance framework.
The validated system introduces a centralised structure to coordinate health research, standardise ethical review processes, strengthen monitoring, and enhance institutional accountability.
The new governance framework is expected to create a coordinated, ethical, and efficient research system that generates high-quality evidence to improve health outcomes and support national development in The Gambia. It also lays the foundation for the operationalization of a National Ethics Committee and supports the anticipated national ethical research legislation.
WN/as/APA