T Nyirenda - The journey towards a African Clinical Trials Ecosystem: EDCTP 20-year experience

Africa is the home of 20% of the world population and carries 25% of the global burden of disease, and yet it conducts only 3% of all clinical trials in the world. The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is one of the Science and Research collaborations that is transforming this discrepancy in Africa. EDCTP is an EU-Africa Union programme for development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on all phases of clinical trials and its related capacity development. The programme brings together 48 European and African countries. Since its formation in 2003, the Collaboration has funded hundreds of trials in Africa, some which have led to improvements in treatments of childhood HIV, opportunistic infections, potent malaria vaccines, better diagnoses and improved critical numbers of scientists through targeted fellowship trainings, just to mention a few. This collaboration, which brings in product developers and industry partners is strengthening at most crucial time when the world is further challenged by Climate Change, Natural Disasters, Human Con ict, Anti-microbial Resistance and Epidemics such as the current Mpox outbreak to which GH EDCTP3 has quickly responded with an emergency call for proposals in last week of April 2024. All these challenges disrupt gains already made in health security, which requires increased vigilance and wide cooperation across sectors and populations for a resilient Global Health Security system. In May 2022, ministers of health and partners meeting at the World Health Assembly in Geneva passed Resolution WHA 75.8, which calls for WHO’s leadership in working with all partners to strengthen Capacities and Coordination of Clinical Trials ecosystems globally. EDCTP works very closely with WHO in Geneva on this. In African EDCTP is working with multiple partners including the Africa CDC, AUDA-NEPAD and WHO-AFRO to achieve this goal. This seminar presents the momentum made and builds a case for continued wide support, with unity of purpose to realise a strengthened and self-reliant African Clinical Trials Ecosystem.