Stakeholders lambast MDP over failed clinical trials

Stakeholders lambast MDP over failed clinical trials
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Mon 01 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

VARIOUS stakeholders took management of the Microbicide Development Programme (MDP) in Mazabuka to task to explain why spouses for the 1,332 women who participated in the failed clinical trials were not consulted before they were enrolled in the study.

Mazabuka central ward councillor, Lloyd Buumba said it was wrong in the African tradition to enrol someone's wife on a sensitive programme without the knowledge of the husband.

He said the Tonga custom did not allow any outsider to see the nakedness of someone's wife or husband except after permission had been sought.

Buumba observed that the current divorces that rocked some of the participants were as a result of ignorance by some husbands of the participants.

Chief Mwanachingwala also said before the commencement of the programme, MDP was supposed to speak to the couples and not just women who did not have a louder voice in a marriage.

But MDP project coordinator, Rose Kasonde said her organisation managed to speak to several couples whom she said were in support of the trials.

Dr Kasonde however said only a few spouses were not aware of the wives’ participation in the trials.

And Mazabuka district commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba on Friday threatened to use police to lock up the husband to a woman who participated in the failed microbicide clinical trials after he used threatening words when he testified against the trials.

During a heated district development coordinating committee meeting, Roy Halumba threatened to sort out a named staff from Microbicide Development Programme (MDP) for disturbing his marriage through the illegal recruitment of his wife to participate in the failed clinical trials.

The irate Halumba who said he had lost 10 kilogrammes since the failed results of the clinical trials came out and that he felt like sweating blood although it could not come out.

But Hamaamba warned Halumba to stop issuing threats on MDP officials because he would unleash police officers who were in attendance to arrest him for threatening violence.

Hamaamba said while he appreciated the amount of anger he had on MDP, it was wrong for him to start issuing threats.

He said using threats on MDP officers would not find a solution to the problem his wife and him were going through.

However, Halumba had to tone down his language and Hamamba asked the wife to continue testifying.

Meanwhile, Kasonde revealed that 1,235 women only attained education up to Grade 7 while others did not even test a classroom.

Dr Kasonde said only 88 attained Grade 12 and tertiary education.

This was during a meeting in which MDP released the findings of the clinical trials to the district leadership.

During the same meeting, a woman who participated in the failed clinical trials revealed that she was subjected to having sex with male participants after being telephoned by a named MDP official who equally attended the meeting.

Annety Maluma, 37 of Nakambala township also said MDP gave an allowance of K50,000 that women used to buy lotion and other necessities.

But Dr Kasonde dismissed the claims by Maluma.

She however said it was unfortunate if such a thing happened.

Dr Kasonde said the clinical trials were conducted in a transparent environment as the participants were not subjected to any unethical practices.