On 16 and 30 October, via the Zoom online platform, the “Achievements and challenges of BERC-Luso in Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Sao Tome and Principe” and “Achievements and challenges of BERC-Luso in Angola and Mozambique” sessions took place respectively.

The overall appreciation of project development was positive with transversal agreement as regards the importance of the training and exchange of experiences between the Portuguese professionals and trainees from the Portuguese language speaking African countries alongside the contact made with the new paradigms emerging in biomedical research.

The timing was deemed of the highest relevance by all participants because it provided the opportunity to better understand the legal framework, the shortcomings existing in terms of biomedical research and the tools necessary for the effective functioning of the National Ethics Committees and Medical Regulatory Authorities of the different countries.

The witness statements also testified to the relevance of the online discussion forums that have been ongoing throughout this year, enabling the exchange of experiences, continuous training and the acquisition of new knowledge on the core themes of BERC-Luso.

Dra. Joana Morais is coordinator of the Angola team and Jocelyne Vasconcelos, head of CISA, participated in this initiative.