Community Perspectives on Ethical Considerations in Clinical Research: Lessons from the ESRIFAL Clinical Trial in the Meme River Basin, Cameroon

Abstract

The study explored community perspectives on ethical considerations in clinical research, focusing on the ESRIFAL trial conducted in Cameroon. The hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to analyze and interpret the data. Participants were selected by systematic sampling. In-depth interviews were used to gather data from the participants. Some findings revealed that while ethical principles such as informed consent are highly recommended in clinical trials, participants did not understand and interpret these documents with as much importance as expected. Participants had other priorities and objectives for engaging in the trial; getting rid of the disease onchocerciasis was one of them. Signing the forms was nothing more than a formality for them. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of strengthening ethical oversight mechanisms, but more importantly, the fact that ethical principles need to be contextualized to fit into the social and cultural realities of the societies in which trials are implemented.