The 4th edition of the DSMB Training Course started in March 2023 with 16 participants from various African countries who will undergo a two-month program designed to support the training of professionals who would have the competence to serve on Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMB).
The DSMB Training Course was an initiative developed by SPEAC to support CEPI’s vaccine portfolio approach. CEPI has an expanding portfolio currently funding the development of several vaccines for diseases such as Lassa fever, Chikungunya, Rift Valley fever, MERS, Nipah, and COVID-19. The trials for for these vaccines are conducted in countries where these diseases occur, and the aim of the training is to expand the number of qualified potential DSMB members in those regions. The participants who successfully complete the course are then added to a pool of experts that is made available to vaccine developers.
After successfully completing the first three editions of the DSMB Training Course, which targeted participants in Africa and Asia, the latest edition is once again focused on African participants. However, this is not the end of the project, as SPEAC plans to periodically announce opportunities for the course, ensuring continued support for the training of local professionals.
