Table 2 Description of clinical ethics committees (n = 109)
From: Clinical Ethics Committees in Africa: lost in the shadow of RECs/IRBs?
| Â | n (%) |
|---|---|
Involved in any clinical ethics/medical ethics/bioethics organisations or institutions? | Â |
 Yes | 79 (72.5) |
 No | 30 (27.5) |
Do you have an established clinical ethics committee/healthcare ethics service at your institution/organisation? | Â |
 Yes | 16 (14.7) |
 No | 93 (85.3) |
*Members on the committee? | Â |
 0–5 | 1 (6.3) |
 6–10 | 9 (56.3) |
 11–15 | 5 (31.3) |
 16–20 | 1 (6.3) |
*Disciplines represented by CEC members (more than one option to choose) | Â |
 Law | 9 (60) |
 Bioethics | 8 (53.3) |
 Social sciences | 7 (46.7) |
 Health sciences | 13 (86.7) |
 Community | 3 (20) |
 Religious | 6 (40) |
 Management | 6 (40) |
*Frequency of the committee having scheduled meetings | Â |
 Weekly | 1 (6.3) |
 Monthly | 6 (37.5) |
 Quarterly | 7 (43.8) |
 Annually | 0 |
 Other | 2 (12.5) |
*Frequency of the committee meeting for ad hoc consultations (when an urgent dilemma arises) | Â |
 Less than 10 times a year | 12 (75) |
 Between 10 and 20 times a year | 3 (18.8) |
 Between 21 and 30 times a year | 0 |
 Other | 1 (6.3) |
*Typical problems referred to the committee (more than one option to choose) | Â |
 Treatment declined (including Jehovah’s witnesses) | 6 (37.5) |
 Withdrawal of life support | 5 (31.3) |
 Termination of pregnancy | 4 (25) |
 Consent | 11 (68.8) |
 Paediatrics | 6 (37.5) |
 HIV related | 5 (31.3) |
 Social media use | 1 (6.3) |
 Innovative treatment | 8 (50) |
 Traditional treatment | 4 (25) |
 Other | 5 (31.3) |
Constraints to developing a CEC (more than one option to choose) | Â |
 Limited resources | 31 (36.9) |
 Understaffed | 22 (26.2) |
 Lack of training | 46 (54.8) |
 Other | 40 (47.6) |