KUMJ | VOL. 18 | NO. 4 | ISSUE 72 | OCT.-DEC. 2020
Research during COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from the Ethics Committees of a Lower Middle Income Country
Ghimire N, Panthee A, Sharma MR, Adhikari RK, Gyanwali P
Abstract: The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created paradoxically
a good opportunity globally to conduct research in the field of health and social
science, and a Lower Middle-Income Country (LMIC) like Nepal is not an exception
in this regard. During this ongoing pandemic, the Ethical Review Board (ERB) of
Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) has received numerous research proposals
regarding COVID-19. As its main responsibility is to ensure participants’ safety,
at the same time maintaining the scientific standard of research, the ERB has
meticulously gone through all the proposals received so far. During this situation
of a health emergency, the ERB of NHRC has had a different experience compared
to the usual time. Its strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats have been like
never before.
Keyword : Coronavirus disease 2019, Ethical review board, Ethics, Research
