The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Andreas Alois Reis, holds the session on "Ethics in Global Health", on the morning of February 22nd. Then, Professor Dafna Feinholz, representative of UNESCO, presents the session on "Bioethics and Ethics in Science and Technology". Both sessions aim to make known the action of WHO and UNESCO in the field of ethical and regulatory training in the domain of care and biomedical research, thus presenting the main programs implemented by these institutions in these areas.

The formal sitting of the Formation of the BERC-Luso  Project  takes  place  on  the  afternoon  of  21^st  February. The session has the intervention of the Coordinator of BERC-Luso, Professor  M. Patrão Neves; the intervention of a representative of the group  of  trainees from each of the partner countries of the Project  –  Mr. Adelino Quiteque (Angola), Mrs. Marilene D'Alva (Guinea Bissau),  Mrs. Telma Chicuamba (Mozambique),  Mrs. Camila Barros (S. Tomé e Príncipe )  and  Mrs. Maria de Lourdes Monteiro (Cape Verde) – and intervention of His Excellency  the Minister of Health and Social Security of Cape Verde, Mr. Arlindo do Rosário.

The trainees present the Contextualization Report on Biomedical Research and Clinical Trials in each of their countries, showing the initiatives developed in regulatory and ethical matters.

His Excellency Minister of Health and Social Security of Cape Verde, Mr. Arlindo do Rosário congratulates the BERC-Luso Project for its dimension and capacity to bring together the PALOP with national and international institutions, and reinforces the commitment made to the development of attractive conditions for the establishment of Clinical Trials in Cape Verde.

After the end of the session, a Solemn Dinner is followed with the presence of institutional guests at the Hotel Oasis Atlântico Praiamar.

The representative of the Pharmaceutical Society, Professor Helder Mota Filipe,  and the representative of INFARMED, Mrs. Helena Beaumont promote training with the theme  "Regulation of Clinical Trials" on February 21^st .

This training promotes access to a broad knowledge of medicines regulation, including national and European regulatory framework. The regulatory framework and best clinical and manufacturing practices are contextualized. The module focuses particularly on guidelines for the conduct and assessment procedures of clinical trials, thus ensuring the theoretical basis for the intensive internship that takes place in September 2020.

The session "Ethics of Clinical Trials" takes place on February 20, taught by Professor Maria Alexandra Ribeiro and Mrs. Lénia Costa, representatives of the Ethics Committee for Clinical Research (CEIC) of Portugal. This module aims to promote an education and training for ethical and regulatory evaluation and monitoring of clinical trials that safeguard the rights, safety, and well-being of all trial subjects, with special attention for clinical trials involving vulnerable subjects, for the wide-ranging exercise of the NRAs.

In particular, understand the responsibilities and the procedures required for NECs on assessing clinical trials.

On February 19th, Professors Ana Sofia Carvalho and Joana Araújo, from the UNESCO Chair of the Institute of Bioethics of the Catholic University of Porto, realize the training session with the theme "Scientific Research Ethics and Public Research Policies". This dynamic session aims at the acquisition of new knowledge and training on fundamentals and principles of scientific research ethics, as well as the identification of ethical problems and deliberative processes, in the understanding of the analytical tools that boost the performance of case analysis and ensuring ethical decision.

The session has the application of practical cases, fundamental for the acquisition of ethical review skills.

Professor Ana Sofia Carvalho and Professor Joana Araújo, representatives of the UNESCO Chair of the Institute of Bioethics of the Catholic University of Porto organize training on the theme "Clinical Ethics and Public Health Policies" on February 18th. The session promotes an excellent education for ethical, analytical and critical assessment of care situations liable to the respect for human dignity and of the public health policies those defy social justice, for the wide-ranging exercise of the National Ethics Committees.

The Coordinator of BERC-Luso Professor Maria do Céu Patrão Neves and Mr. Bruno Cordeiro, representative of INFARMED organize the training with the following theme "Legal dispositions and ethical best practices" on the afternoon of February 17^th. The session takes place at the Hotel Oasis Atântico Praiamar, and aims  to implement the development of an adequate legal framework for the full and effective functioning of the NECs and NRAs and implement the best international practices concerning the ethical and regulatory evaluation of health policies and research protocols.

The Comparative Legislative Study is presented: International Best Practices and Legislative Challenges, resulting from the work developed during the first year of the BERC-Luso Project.

The opening session of the training action "Biomedical Research and Clinical Trials: Ethics and Regulatory Capacity Building takes place on the morning of February 17^th, 2020, at the headquarters of the Cape Verde Medical Society.

The session has the presence and intervention of the President of the Medical Society, Mr. Danielson Veiga; the intervention of the Coordinator of BERC-Luso, Professor M. Do Céu Patrão Neves; the intervention of the President of the Independent Health Regulatory Authority (ERIS), Mr. Eduardo Tavares and the intervention of the President of the National Committee of Ethics in Health Research (CNEPS), Mrs. Maria de Lourdes Monteiro.

The session also has a presentation of all the trainees of the Project, as well as the official website www.berc-luso.com

On 15th February takes place a breakfast between journalists and the BERC-Luso Coordination in Praia. The main goal is disseminate the Project and the training "Biomedical Research and Clinical Trials: Ethics and Regulatory Capacity building " which is hold from 17th to 22nd February.  

The BERC-Luso Project (Biomedical Ethics and Regulatory Capacity Building Partnership for Portuguese Speaking African Countries) organizes during the coming week, from 17 to 22 February, at the Hotel Oasis Atlântico Praiamar, in Cidade da Praia, Cape Verde the training "Biomedical Research and Clinical Trials: Ethics and Regulatory Capacity building” . The event has the participation of experts in the area of ethical and regulatory review of Portugal, as well as international representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), being co-organized by two prestigious Cape Verdean institutions: the Independent Health Regulatory Authority and the National Committee of Ethics in Health Research. The participants are professionals, with relevant responsibilities, in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, S. Tomé and Príncipe and Cape Verde.

The Program highlights some institutional moments for which we would like to count on your presence: the Opening Session, which takes place on February 17, at 9:00 am, at the headquarters of the Cape Verde Medical Association; the formal sitting, at 06:30 pm on February 21, with the presence of the Minister of Health and Social Security of Cape Verde, Mr. Arlindo do Rosário; and the Commitment Celebration Session, at 04:30 pm on 22 February, with interventions by WHO  and UNESCO representatives. This training programme is part of the second of five BERC-Luso Project Action Programmes, entitled "Educational". The first workpackage,  which took place between 2018 and 2019, developed a comparative study of partner country legislation with international best practices in biomedical research, in order to strengthen the current legislation and thus to enable clinical research to take place for the benefit of the population, also contributing to the scientific and economic development of partner countries.