RHInnO Platform Revolutionizes African Clinical Trials with AI Integration

How RHInnO's AI Upgrade Works

RHInnO Ethics, co-developed by EthiXPERT with European partners, is critically impacting over 30 ethics committees across 10 African countries. The platform digitizes the traditionally paper-heavy review process, easing administrative burdens. The AI integration summarizes complex protocols, identifies risks, suggests preliminary decisions, and provides administrators significant control over outcomes.

Transformative Impact on African Clinical Research

Ethics committees piloting the upgraded platform report overwhelmingly positive feedback. Review turnaround times are reduced by more than 80%, allowing for an enhanced ability to handle larger volumes of submissions. Structured AI summaries improve consistency and decision quality.

Funding Challenges Persist

Despite the success story, financial barriers remain. Approximately a dozen African committees use RHInnO intermittently, as they struggle with annual subscription fees after grant funding expires. Kombe emphasized the importance of sustainable financial models for ongoing adoption of AI in research. Without these, further advancements in health research ethics could be hindered.

Why It Matters

• Faster Approvals: AI-enabled reviews could speed clinical trial approvals by months, bringing treatments to patients sooner.
• Scaling Research: Supports Africa's growing role in global medical research and vaccine development.
• Ethical Integrity: Provides structured checks without removing human oversight, strengthening public trust.