A controversial hepatitis B vaccine study planned for Guinea-Bissau has been scrapped after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) ruled that its design failed to meet internationally accepted ethical standards.
Africa CDC confirmed the decision during a webinar briefing, where the Deputy Incident Manager for Mpox, Yap Boum, said the agency supports research that advances public health but will not endorse studies that compromise ethical principles or participant safety.
According to Africa CDC, the proposed study raised serious concerns because it could have delayed access to a proven, life-saving hepatitis B vaccine for some newborns. Public health experts warned that such delays in a high-burden setting could expose infants to avoidable infections.
The study, reportedly funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, aimed to examine the timing of hepatitis B vaccination among infants in Guinea-Bissau. However, the proposal attracted strong criticism from scientists and ethicists who argued that withholding or postponing an effective vaccine was unacceptable.
Hepatitis B remains a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where early-life infection significantly increases the risk of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Although global guidelines recommend administering the vaccine at birth to prevent mother-to-child transmission, Guinea-Bissau currently provides the vaccine at six weeks due to logistical and supply constraints.
The cancelled study reignited broader debates around ethical standards in global health research, with critics warning against double standards in studies conducted in low-income countries and stressing the need to protect vulnerable populations.
Africa CDC reiterated that all research conducted on the continent must strictly adhere to international ethical norms while contributing meaningfully to public health policy.
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