American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
August 2014; 91 (2)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current

Editorial
The Impact of the Fogarty International Clinical Scholars and Fellows Program Extends Beyond Borders
Catherine P. Benziger and Robert H. Gilman
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014 91:211-212; Published online June 2, 2014, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0265
[No abstract; free full text]

Doctors and Vampires in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethical Challenges in Clinical Trial Research
Koen Peeters Grietens*, Joan Muela Ribera, Annette Erhart, Sarah Hoibak, Raffaella M. avinetto,
Charlotte Gryseels, Susan Dierickx, Sarah O’Neill, Susanna Hausmann Muela and Umberto D’Alessandro
Author Affiliations
Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; School of International Health Development, Nagasaki University; Partners for Applied Social Sciences (PASS) International, Tessenderlo, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Medical Research Council, Fajara, The Gambia; London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London, United Kingdom
Abstract.
Collecting blood samples from individuals recruited into clinical research projects in sub-Saharan Africa can be challenging. Strikingly, one of the reasons for participant reticence is the occurrence of local rumors surrounding “blood stealing” or “blood selling.” Such fears can potentially have dire effects on the success of research projects—for example, high dropout rates that would invalidate the trial’s results—and have ethical implications related to cultural sensitivity and informed consent. Though commonly considered as a manifestation of the local population’s ignorance, these rumors represent a social diagnosis and a logical attempt to make sense of sickness and health. Born from historical antecedents, they reflect implicit contemporary structural inequalities and the social distance between communities and public health institutions. We aim at illustrating the underlying logic governing patients’ fear and argue that the management of these beliefs should become an intrinsic component of clinical research.