Africa CDC Halts Controversial US-Funded Hepatitis B Vaccine Trial in Guinea-Bissau
Africa CDC Halts Controversial US-Funded Hepatitis B Vaccine Trial in Guinea-Bissau
A controversial $1.6 million US-funded study in newborns “has been cancelled,” said Africa CDC official Yap Boum.
The trial drew strong criticism over ethical concerns, as it involved withholding a proven, life-saving hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns in a country with one of the world’s highest infection rates.
Boum said Africa CDC supports research that informs policy, “but this has to be done within the norm,” adding that “the way the study was designed was a big challenge.”
Guinea-Bissau officials have indicated the trial could still proceed, but Africa CDC stressed it would only move forward after a full redesign to meet ethical standards, with support from African experts.
US health officials said the protocol is being updated and denied that the leaked version reflects the final design.
Medical experts reportedly welcomed the halt. Others said the decision signals stronger resistance to unethical research practices in Africa.
ℹ Guinea-Bissau currently vaccinates infants at six weeks due to supply constraints, with plans to vaccinate all newborns at birth starting in 2027. About 18% of adults and 11% of infants in the country are infected with hepatitis B, a disease that can lead to liver cancer and death when contracted early in life.
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