"Strengthening research and partnerships for Sub-Saharan health"

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa, infectious diseases are causing illness, death and impacting income, education and economic growth and development. There is a need for global action. The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) supports global health research in sub-Saharan Africa and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It does this by funding clinical research for medical tools to detect, treat and prevent poverty-related infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. EDCTP1 supported clinical trials on drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics, with a focus on HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. EDCTP2 was set up in 2014 and will run until 2024. It is supported by Horizon 2020 and will advance international and national health policy and practise for poverty-related diseases. The Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (GH EDCTP3 JU) was launched in May 2022 and will run until the end of 2031. At its launch, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel delivered an opening speech in which she celebrated the progress made by EDCTP to date. 'So far, we have jointly invested over 1.4 billion euros in 440 grants, including 140 clinical trials projects and over 210 fellowships' she said. Impacts include a malaria vaccine for children and a child-friendly tablet formulation of the medication to treat the acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms. Gabriel said that four EDCTP Regional Networks of Excellence have been established in order to facilitate high-quality clinical research and networking and praised EDCTP's resiliency through the COVID-19 pandemic.