Guidelines for the establishment and functioning of Animal Ethics Commitees (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees) in Africa.

Animals are used for scientific purposes across Africa to benefit humans, animals or the environment. Nonetheless, ethical and regulatory oversight remains limited in many parts of the continent. To strengthen this governance framework, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics brought together experts from 12 African countries to create an Africa-centric practical guide to facilitate the establishment and appropriate functioning of Institutional Animal Ethics Committees across Africa. The Guidelines are based on universal principles for the care and use of sentient animals for scientific purposes, with consideration of the cultural, religious, political and socio-economic diversity in Africa. They focus on 11 key elements, including responsibilities of institutions and of the Institutional Official; composition of the Committee; its responsibilities, functioning and authority; ethical application and review processes; oversight and monitoring of animal care and use and of training and competence; quality assurance; and the roles of other responsible parties. The intent is for African institutions to adopt and adapt the guidelines, aligning with existing national legislation and standards where relevant, thus ensuring incorporation into practice. More broadly, the Guidelines form an essential component of the growing discourse in Africa regarding moral considerations of, and appropriate standards for, the care and use of animals for scientific purposes. The increased establishment of appropriately functioning animal ethics committees and robust ethical review procedures across Africa will enhance research quality and culture, strengthen societal awareness of animals as sentient beings, improve animal well-being, bolster standards of animal care and use, and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development

Update on the Reproduction of She-Camels (<em>Camelus dromedarius</em>)

The female dromedary is a seasonal breeder. Sexual activity occurs during a short period of the year concomitant with the rainy season. The age at first breeding starts when the female is four years old. The ovulation is induced in response to mating. This physiological particularity associated with a long gestation period (12.5 months) constitute major constraints to camel breeding development. This review aims at updating the current knowledge on the reproductive physiology of the female dromedary to improve applications of reproductive biotechnologies

Physiology of reproduction in goat

This review pointed out the physiological basis of goat reproduction. So far assimilated to ewes, goats presented their own characteristics concerning the sexual activity and the endocrinology of pregnancy. The well understanding of goat particularities is essential to control cyclic activities and reproduction applicationCe travail passe en revue les bases physiologiques de la reproduction dans l’espèce caprine. Longtemps assimilée à la brebis, la chèvre présente des spécificités propres, tant sur le plan du déroulement des cycles sexuels que sur le plan de l’endocrinologie de la gestation. Une bonne connaissance des particularités de la reproduction dans cette espèce permet une meilleure maîtrise du contrôle du cycle sexuel et des techniques de la reproductio

Sustainable education and training in laboratory animal science and ethics in low- and middle-income countries in Africa - challenges, successes, and the way forward.

Despite the recognised need for education and training in laboratory animal science (LAS) and ethics in Africa, access to such opportunities has historically been limited. To address this, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics (PAN-LASE) was established to pioneer a support network for the development of education and training in LAS and ethics across the African continent. In the 4.5 years since the establishment of PAN-LASE, 3635 individuals from 28 African countries have participated in our educational activities. Returning to their home institutions, they have both established and strengthened institutional and regional hubs of knowledge and competence across the continent. Additionally, PAN-LASE supported the development of guidelines for establishment of institutional Animal Ethics Committees, a critical step in the implementation of ethical review processes across the continent, and in enhancing animal welfare and scientific research standards. Key challenges and opportunities for PAN-LASE going forward include the formalisation of the network; the sustainability of education and training programmes; implementation of effective hub-and-spoke models of educational provision; strengthening governance frameworks at institutional, national and regional levels; and the availability of Africa-centric open access educational resources. Our activities are enhancing animal welfare and the quality of animal research undertaken across Africa, enabling African researchers to undertake world-leading research to offer solutions to the challenges facing the continent. The challenges, successes and the lessons learnt from PAN-LASE’s journey are applicable to other low- and middle-income countries across the world seeking to enhance animal welfare, research ethics and ethical review in their own country or region