Pharmacometrics, the mathematical approaches to describe the transfer of drug through different biological compartments, are essential tools in clinical pharmacology research. The ethical necessity to study drugs accurately in the populations where they are to be used is increasingly recognized. To maximise the value of clinical data, study design and analysis must be appropriate. Historically, many datasets have been sent from African countries to better-resourced settings for analysis, but in recent years it has been demonstrated that capacity can be built and sustained within low and middle-income countries (LMIC)3. We report the establishment of the Uganda Chapter of Pharmacometrics Africa, to share learning with other countries seeking to build similar capabilities.

Pharmacometrics Africa is a not-for-profit company registered in South Africa as an established platform for interested groups to establish and run open-access quantitative clinical pharmacology educational programs in partnership with local research organizations and academic groups. Pharmacometric research and clinical application is pivotal in characterising and optimising treatments, especially for complex or understudied populations. The application of pharmacometrics in drug development during recent years has led to an increase in the adoption of this technique in many drug companies and increased the demand for skilled pharmacometricians globally. Stringent regulatory authorities such as the US-FDA and EMA have increasingly populated their review groups with these scientists, further increasing the demand for the expertise and, more importantly, evidencing the impact and importance of pharmacometrics within the drug development cycle. Creative solutions are required to provide adequate training resources for the future. Pharmacometrics is nascent in Africa. Here, we report on establishing the Ugandan Chapter of Pharmacometrics Africa. This aims to transfer primary training responsibility to local institutions and faculty for sustainability and to build upon regional strengths in pharmacometrics. Creating a local centre of excellence will help attract both regional and international collaborations on quantitative clinical pharmacology. We summarize our experience, key lessons learnt and future perspectives.