Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025182 (Oral 033) | Published: 19 Aug 2025
Ahmed Cherno Futa1,&, Wajih Farouk Moutraji1, Bruno Pichon1, Mohammed Yisa1, Armel Zemsi1, Ed Clarke1, Derick Kimathi2, Birkneh Tadesse2, Anthony Huszar2, Florian Marks2, Yusuf Bara Jibrin3
&Corresponding author: Ahmed Cherno Futa, Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia. Email: ahmed.futa@lshtm.ac.uk
Received: 01 Jun 2025 Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 19 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Clinical trials, mobile unit, rural access, epidemic preparedness, decentralized research
©Ahmed Cherno Futa et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Ahmed Cherno Futa et al., Expanding clinical trial access through a mobile clinical trials unit to strengthen epidemic preparedness in rural and underserved communities in Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00033. https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph-confpro5-00033
In rural Nigeria, communities often lack access to clinical trial infrastructure. This limits their access to innovation and participation in research, thus weakening preparedness for epidemics. Ensuring equitable access to trials builds trust, supports early detection, and promotes inclusive outbreak response. To bridge this gap, we developed a Mobile Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) to bring vaccine and infectious disease research directly to underserved areas.
The mobile CTU is part of a wider capacity-strengthening initiative funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and delivered by the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia and the International Vaccine Institute. Built from a modified 20-foot container mounted on a flatbed truck, the unit houses dedicated spaces for laboratory work, pharmacy services, and clinical consultations. It is equipped with solar panels, water storage, refrigeration, ultra-low temperature freezers, and a mobile community engagement area. Field visits and input from local stakeholders guided the design and planning process.
The mobile CTU is designed for rapid deployment to hard-to-reach areas. It will increase recruitment reach, improve trial participation, and allow for on-site data and sample collection. The design enables decentralized trial delivery and strengthens public health response capacity in emergencies. Initial feedback indicates strong local interest and opportunities for collaboration across sectors.
This mobile CTU model provides a flexible and scalable approach to overcoming infrastructural and geographic barriers to research. It enhances epidemic preparedness by enabling remote communities to participate in trials and gain access to timely medical innovations. The model has strong potential for replication in other resource-constrained settings.
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