The Pregart Clinical trial in Ethiopia has been enrolling participants since May 2021. The project has enrolled 16% of its target as of June 2022. Recruitment of participants was supposed to start January 2020, but it was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic and ethical approval process. As part of the mitigation plan to enhance the recruitment process, Hawassa University organized a one-day stakeholders engagement meeting on July 30, 2022 at Adama City, Hillside Hotel in Oromia region.

The meeting aimed at updating the stakeholders the progress of Pregart clinical trial progress (performance in terms of timeline and challenges).The meeting was held to enhance support and engagement of the stakeholders through discussions on the pertinent issues and challenges faced in the course of implementation of the trial that will facilitates the recruitment process to achieve the project objectives within the remaining timeline. The participants were identified based on their direct or indirect roles in creating awareness facilitating communications about the project across the existing structures of health delivery system. These include participants from the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureau of Oromia; Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region; Sidama Region; and Addis Ababa City Council.

Moreover, representatives from the National Ethics Committee, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa Regional Laboratory, and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) coordinators took part in the meeting. Thirty-five participants attended the meeting. The trial investigators presented the progress of the trial, success and major challenges and finally all the participants discussed the identified challenges and recommended different interventions to be taken at the different level of healthcare system.

Picture 1: Participants attending presentations
Picture 2: Panellists leading the discussion (Dr. Aregash, Prof. Yifru, Dr. Abel-Left to right)

 

Picture 3: Partial view of meeting attendants