Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
September 20, 2025Research EthicsOpen Access

Governance of biological sample sharing in health research: Material transfer agreements in Zambia and South Africa – necessary but not sufficient?

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Authors

VCVictor ChalweStellenbosch UniversityTRTheresa M. RossouwUniversity of PretoriaDBDirk BrandStellenbosch University

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Qualitative evaluation of material transfer agreements in Zambia and South Africa, suggesting critical regulatory gaps exist.

Key Points

  • Both Zambia and South Africa have implemented material transfer agreements (MTAs) for biological samples, yet governance and enforcement present significant challenges.
  • The study evaluates Zambia's regulatory framework against South Africa's, revealing key differences in ownership and benefit-sharing provisions related to biological sample transfers.
  • Zambia mandates that MTA signings are legally required, asserting government ownership of biological samples, while South Africa emphasizes donor ownership alongside ongoing consent processes.
  • Robust regulations and reviews of existing MTAs are essential for enhancing ethical compliance in collaborative health research between both countries.

Cite This Study

Chalwe et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68d46aa631b076d99fa673afhttps://doi.org/10.1177/17470161251376719
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Governance of biological sample sharing in health research: Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) in Zambia and South Africa – necessary but sufficient?2024
  2. 2Forcing a square into a circle: why South Africa’s draft revised material transfer agreement is not fit for purpose2024 · 1 citations
  3. 3Challenges in biobank governance in Sub-Saharan Africa2013 · 112 citations
  4. 4Cross-border data sharing for research in Africa: An analysis of the data protection and research ethics requirements in 12 jurisdictions2024 · 3 citations
  5. 5Ethical and practical issues to consider in the governance of genomic and human research data and data sharing in South Africa: a meeting report2026