The STRATEGIC project´s aim is to develop and test training materials to build capacity for the review and evaluation of digital health technologies and to raise ethical awareness across Sub-Saharan Africa. To achieve this, we have divided our work into three phases:

• DEVELOPMENT: We familiarised ourselves with existing training centres, projects, initiatives, networks, etc. that are already addressing - in a broad sense - ethical and regulatory issues of health technologies during the development of our mapping of established training centres in sub-Saharan Africa, successfully submitted in September 2024. The findings of the mapping will inform the STRATEGIC project in developing enhanced training materials that effectively address existing gaps – such as financial barriers, lack of accessibility, and limited awareness. A total of 476 institutions were identified across the 49 countries composing the SSA region (and 17 relevant actors based in the EU) through extensive desk research (88% of the identified institutions), the network of the STRATEGIC project´s partners (9% of the identified institutions), and an online consultation (3% of the identified institutions). Those different exercises provided us with some useful takeaway information which will not only serve in the development of the STRATEGIC training materials, but also for a broader audience regarding the current training situation about research ethics and digital health technologies in the region. This first report is currently being exploited in the current development of the STRATEGIC training materials by informing about the existing current good practices and gaps across the region.

• INTEGRATION: Based on the participatory methodology developed in the STRATEGIC project, we will ensure that the training materials meet the needs of key stakeholders and collaborate with existing initiatives such as ENERI Classroom or iRECS Alliance. This will allow us to reach key stakeholders in the field of health technology who are concerned with ethical and legal issues. A training assessment need has already been conducted in August and September 2024 as part of the online consultation send out to the established training centres mapped in the deliverable D5.1. The 25 responses provided us with an extensive insight on the current training practices, formats and existing gaps our training materials could help closing.

• IMPLEMENTATION: To ensure usability of the developed training materials in existing training centres, we will test them at three sites with 10 members of NECs and NRAs. These members will in turn act as trainers to ensure the sustainability of the materials in a train-the-trainer programme.