AFRAVIH-ANRS MIE-IRD-UHS 2026 Clinical Research Training in Cambodia
In partnership with ANRS MIE, IRD, and UHS, AFRAVIH offered a training programme in clinical health research in 2026.
Last updated on 28 October 2026
In brief
The first edition of the Cambodian clinical research training programme, organised by AFRAVIH in collaboration with ANRS MIE, IRD, and the University of Health Sciences of Cambodia (UHS), was held in Kep Province, Cambodia, from October 16 to 20, 2026.
The context
In 2025, AFRAVIH (Francophone Alliance of Health Actors Against HIV and Chronic or Emerging Viral Infections) and ANRS MIE, through its International Network and Start programme for young scientists, organised a training programme on clinical health research for the scientific community in Africa. The training took the form of a hands-on workshop focused on updating knowledge about pathogens of interest, introducing basic research concepts, and drafting clinical research protocols. It also included online training modules covering the entire research continuum, particularly aspects of good clinical practices as well as those related to conducting research in the context of a health crisis.
At the request of the University of Health Sciences of Cambodia (UHS)—a long-standing partner of ANRS MIE through the ANRS MIE Cambodia Partner Site—ANRS MIE, UHS, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), and AFRAVIH—with support from the Initiative (Expertise France)—have agreed to jointly organise, for the first time in 2026, a four-day in-person training programme on clinical research, combining theory and practice, for healthcare professionals in Cambodia (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, midwives, etc.). This training will also be supplemented by online training modules.
The training is funded by AFRAVIH, ANRS MIE, and Expertise France.
The objective of the clinical research training
The clinical research training aimed to equip Cambodian healthcare professionals with the essential knowledge and skills to participate in and lead clinical research projects.
Who was the target audience?
The training was designed for 42 healthcare professionals involved in the care and management of HIV, hepatitis, sexual and reproductive health, tuberculosis, and emerging diseases, as well as other professionals engaged in clinical health research in Cambodia.
The format of the clinical research training
The training offered this year in Cambodia took place in person over four days. It is part of the missions of the UHS’s Global Health Research Center (GHRC). The programme alternated between theoretical instruction and hands-on practice.
Theoretical Training
The program began with an overview of current scientific developments (HIV, PrEP, sexually transmitted infections, emerging infectious diseases), then covered the entire cycle of a clinical research project: formulating a research question, objectives, hypotheses, study rationale, types of studies, protocol design, ethics, social sciences, statistics, data validation and analysis, economic evaluation, and research in emergency settings.
Group Work
Throughout the workshop, participants worked in supervised groups to develop their own projects, culminating in the drafting of a protocol, an observation log, and an abstract, which they presented on the final day.
In total, four groups were formed and developed four research synopses focusing on priority topics for Cambodia. The proposed projects cover areas such as HIV, tuberculosis, and HPV, and are based on a relevant review of the existing literature as well as the country’s public health needs. The quality of the proposed projects and their relevance to the Cambodian context provide a solid foundation for the development of comprehensive protocols. However, they will need to address the comments and suggestions made by the presenters and be further detailed and refined to result in finalised research protocols.
At the conclusion of this process, the most promising projects that meet the scientific, methodological, and regulatory prerequisites will be eligible for seed funding. The project teams will receive technical and methodological support from the instructors of this training program.
The project results will be presented at the 2nd edition of the AFRAVIH / ANRS MIE / UHS clinical research workshop in 2028.
The faculty providing guidance is experienced and highly qualified. They serve on a volunteer basis. Courses are taught by clinical researchers, social scientists, methodologists, and statisticians. The instructors are individuals involved in the management and implementation of clinical research studies in Asia, Africa, and/or Europe.
Some Cambodian participants will be able to deepen their knowledge—particularly in the promotion of clinical research—through online training modules offered as part of the second edition of the AFRAVIH/ANRS MIE training programme scheduled for 2027 in Togo.
