Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34289892›Full record

ArticleTrials2021

Trends in clinical trial registration in sub-Saharan Africa between 2010 and 2020: a cross-sectional review of three clinical trial registries.

Bassey Edem, Chukwuemeka Onwuchekwa, Oghenebrume Wariri, Esin Nkereuwem, Oluwatosin O Nkereuwem, Victor Williams

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Bassey EdemDepartment of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia. basseyeedem@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9783-1542
Chukwuemeka OnwuchekwaDepartment of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0017-8429
Oghenebrume WaririDepartment of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7432-8995
Esin NkereuwemDepartment of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9606-9069
Oluwatosin O NkereuwemDepartment of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6194-6228
Victor WilliamsUnit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0594-3433

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveProspective registration of clinical trials is an ethical, scientific, and legal requirement that serves several functions, including minimising research wastage and publication bias. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasingly hosting clinical trials over the past few years, and there is limited literature on trends in clinical trial registration and reporting in SSA. Therefore, we set out to determine the trends in clinical trials registered in SSA countries between 2010 and July 2020.

methodsA cross-sectional study design was used to describe the type of clinical trials that are conducted in SSA from 1 January 2010 to 31 July 2020. The registries searched were ClinicalTrials.gov (CTG), the Pan African Clinical Trials Register (PACTR), and the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN). Data were extracted into Excel and imported into STATA for descriptive analysis.

resultsCTG had the highest number of registered trials at 2622, followed by PACTR with 1501 and ISRCTN with 507 trials. Trials were observed to increase gradually from 2010 and peaked at 2018-2019. Randomised trials were the commonest type, accounting for at least 80% across the three registries. Phase three trials investigating drugs targeted at infections/infestations were the majority. Few completed trials had their results posted: 58% in ISRCTN and 16.5% in CTG, thus suggesting reporting bias.

conclusionDespite the gradual increase in clinical trials registered during the period, recent trends suggest a drop in the number of trials registered across the region. Strengthening national and regional regulatory capacity will improve clinical trial registration and minimise reporting bias in completed clinical trials.

Indexed as

Cross-Sectional StudiesAfrica South of the SaharaHumansProspective StudiesPublication BiasRegistriesClinical trial registrationSub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID34289892
PMCPMC8293494

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.