Mbabane- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on the newly appointed Eswatini Health Research Ethics Review Board to uphold integrity and high ethical standards in overseeing research conducted in the country.
Speaking on behalf of WHO country representative Dr Susan Tembo, WHO Health Systems Officer Dr Ayana Mekdim said the independence, competence and integrity of Board members would be critical in protecting people, guiding institutions and shaping the reputation of Eswatini’s research environment. She encouraged the Board to invest in continuous learning, timely and consistent review processes, and clear communication with researchers and communities.
She urged researchers and institutions to work closely with the Board by preparing strong research protocols, upholding ethical conduct throughout implementation and ensuring that research results were shared responsibly, particularly with communities that contributed their time, data and trust.
Dr Mekdim also called on policymakers and development partners to provide sustained support to the Board through adequate resources, capacity development and a policy environment that valued evidence and protected research participants.
Addressing communities, she said the Board was established to uphold their rights, values and voices, stressing that ethical research must always respect the people it seeks to serve.
She said the launch of the Board reflected Eswatini’s commitment to advancing health research while safeguarding human dignity, rights and wellbeing. She also commended Government and the Ministry of Health for their leadership and vision in strengthening research governance.
Dr Mekdim also paid tribute to the outgoing Health Research Ethics Review Board, saying its members had, over the past three years, ensured that research conducted in Eswatini met the highest ethical standards. She said their dedication and vigilance had safeguarded participants’ rights, nurtured public trust and laid a strong foundation for the incoming Board.
She said health research was central to progress as it generated evidence to prevent disease, improve treatment and strengthen health systems, but warned that research without ethics was incomplete. Ethics, she said, ensured that innovation did not come at the expense of human dignity and transformed research into a moral responsibility.
Dr Mekdim said the newly launched Board would serve as a guardian of integrity, ensuring that all studies conducted in Eswatini met standards of respect, fairness, transparency and accountability, while contributing to national development goals.
She said the move aligned with WHO’s global vision of promoting ethical, inclusive and country driven research and ensuring that the benefits of science reached all communities.
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