Malawi Liverpool Wellcome (MLW) has appealed to fellow medical research organizations to prioritize study participants’ safety if they are to build and sustain a win-win relationship with communities.  

This has transpired in a panel discussion that MLW organized at its headquarters in Blantyre on Friday, 17 September 2021, to commemorate World Patient Safety Day.  

One of the Panelists, Markus Gmeiner who leads the Clinical Research Unit at MLW said “MLW ensures that research participants are protected from harm by putting in place safety systems and policies to shield them (participants) from dangers.”  

In addition, Gmeiner said protecting research participants from any form of danger hugely benefits the organization as it strengthens the relationship between the community and the organization thereby heightening chances of Project success.  

Vella Kaudzu MLW’s Clinical Department Lead who was also a panelist said protecting study participants is cost-effective for it distances the organization from lawsuits and compensations. 

Among others, the panelists, Wezzie Gondwe, Vella Kaudzu, and Markus Gmeiner drawn from three different departments at MLW, Health and safety department, Clinical department as well as Clinical Research Support Unit respectively agreed that the research organizations including MLW have a moral, legal as well as economic obligation to protect study participants for successful research efforts.  

World Health Organization (WHO) set apart 17 September as world patients safety day for various health players to be reflecting on various issues related to patients’ safety.  

This year various stakeholders on health globally discussed patients’ safety issues under the theme “Safe maternal and new-born care”.