Controversial Vaccine Trial Halted in Guinea-Bissau

Recently, officials from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) shared that health authorities in Guinea-Bissau have decided to stop a contentious study involving unvaccinated infants. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) maintained that the trial would proceed.

In a somewhat bizarre twist, the HHS went so far as to label the Africa CDC “a fake and powerless organization,” claiming it wasn’t a trustworthy source of information. This prompted a strong response from Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, during a press conference.

“Let me tell you: we are not an NGO,” Kaseya asserted firmly. “We are not a UN organization. We have the mandate given to us by all 55 African heads of state and government.”

Kaseya elaborated, suggesting that discussions held in the U.S. or Europe, without Africa’s involvement, would be pointless. He seemed to reference leaked emails indicating discussions between HHS officials and Danish researchers aimed at pushing forward the vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau. “If we are not there, they are wasting their time,” he added.

He also stressed that no government has the authority to conduct experiments on the people of Guinea-Bissau without consent.

“The Africa CDC is respecting and supporting the sovereignty of the country,” Kaseya continued. “It’s not for us or any international body to dictate whether this trial will go ahead.”

While the HHS appears to believe it can influence vaccine trials in African nations, the reality is more complicated. According to Africa CDC’s guidelines, any vaccine study must obtain written approval from the country’s National Medicines Regulatory Authority, as well as clearance from the National Ethics Committee and a local institutional review board.

Furthermore, any trial must have authorization from the Ministry of Health in Guinea-Bissau, meaning local officials can ultimately veto any project they oppose.

Kaseya highlighted the necessity of sovereignty in African public health matters. “Our vision is not dictated by Western countries,” he noted. “It’s an African vision shaped by African leaders based on our realities.”

In a interview with the Guardian, Abdulhammad Babatunde, a doctor and health researcher from Nigeria, emphasized the importance of funding research that aligns with African needs. “Africans want to resolve Africa’s issues, not merely fulfill the interests of the funders,” he remarked, pointing to the HHS’s recent $1.6 million funding package for the trial.

The proposed trial would have vaccinated 7,000 newborns for hepatitis B, while another 7,000 would remain unvaccinated. In a country where nearly one in five adults and 11 percent of children suffer from hepatitis B—posing a significant health threat—deliberately leaving infants unvaccinated raises serious ethical concerns.

“This is not acceptable,” Babatunde told the Guardian. He underscored that to avoid unethical studies like the Tuskegee experiment, the control group must receive standard care, while the intervention group should ideally receive better care.

When asked if the HHS’s comments would impact future collaborations with Africa CDC, Kaseya expressed a desire to move on. “I was informed that they are unaware of any negative remarks about Africa CDC,” he mentioned. “I trust them and am ready to close the chapter.”