ABSTRACT
The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly referred to as Egypt, is a democratic republic located in the North-Eastern corner of Africa. A transcontinental country, it is geographically located in Africa and Asia, facing Europe. In its Constitution, it is described as a part of the Arab nation, a part of the Islamic world, which belongs to the African continent and which cherishes its Asian dimensions. Egypt's transcontinental geographical location, health profile, relatively high rate of clinical trials, and recent revitalisation of research ethics committees make it a compelling case study for governance and regulation. Furthermore, the continuing high levels of clinical trials and other kinds of health research amidst political turbulence raise questions about how effective extant regulations have been. Recent studies have also shown that there appear to be ethical problems in relation to clinical trials conducted in Egypt. All of these make Egypt relevant for the study of health research governance.
