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. 2010 Jun;2(2):123-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.inhe.2010.02.001.

Community engagement on the Thai-Burmese border: rationale, experience and lessons learnt

Phaik Yeong Cheah  1 , Khin Maung Lwin, Lucy Phaiphun, Ladda Maelankiri, Michael Parker, Nicholas P Day, Nicholas J White, François Nosten
Affiliations

Community engagement on the Thai-Burmese border: rationale, experience and lessons learnt

Phaik Yeong Cheah et al. Int Health. 2010 Jun.

Abstract

Community engagement is increasingly promoted in developing countries, especially in international health research, but there is little published experience. The Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) conducts research with refugees, migrant workers, displaced people, and day migrants on the Thai-Burmese border, and has recently facilitated the set up of the Tak Province Border Community Ethics Advisory Board (T-CAB). Valuable lessons have been learnt from consultation with the T-CAB especially in the area of participant recruitment and the informed consent process. A lot of new research questions have emerged from consultation with the T-CAB. This paper describes our experience, lessons learnt and the unique challenges faced working with the T-CAB from its initial conception to date. We conclude that consultation with the T-CAB has made improvements in our research in particular operational and ethical aspects of our studies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the location of the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit office in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand, and the Mae La refugee camp and the clinics along the Thai-Burmese border.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A typical Tak Province Border Community Ethics Advisory Board (T-CAB) meeting: Members are discussing a participant information sheet of a randomised controlled trial. Photo by Viriya Hantrakun.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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