Terms Of Service
ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE (EPHI) — INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
1. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
This portal is governed by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the National Research Ethics Review Guidelines. Access is granted solely for the purposes of submission, review, and monitoring of health-related research protocols within the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
2. ACCOUNT SECURITY & ACCESS CONTROL
Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their unique authentication credentials. Any activity performed under a User account is legally attributed to that individual. Unauthorized sharing of credentials or attempting to exploit system vulnerabilities will result in immediate revocation of access and potential administrative inquiry.
3. CONFIDENTIALITY OF SENSITIVE DATA
Users may encounter proprietary research data, participant identifiers, or confidential deliberations. IRB Members and Staff are bound by a permanent Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Breach of data confidentiality is a violation of EPHI policy and subject to prosecution under the FDRE Penal Code.
4. DATA INTEGRITY & ETHICAL COMPLIANCE
Principal Investigators warrant that all uploaded materials are accurate and compliant with the Helsinki Declaration and CIOMS guidelines. EPHI reserves the right to monitor portal traffic and audit submissions to ensure adherence to international and national ethical standards.
5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & RETENTION
EPHI retains all rights to the portal’s software and interface. While research intellectual property remains with the investigator, EPHI maintains the right to archive all digital submissions for a period consistent with national regulatory record-keeping requirements.
6. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
EPHI provides this digital infrastructure on an "as-is" basis. The Institute assumes no liability for technical interruptions or data integrity issues arising from User-side hardware failures, internet instability, or compromised end-user environments.