Coordinating clinical research efforts in sub-Saharan Africa
In 2003, the European Union established the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) initiative in response to the global health crisis caused by the major three poverty-related diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Its goal was to provide financial support to programmes undertaken jointly by several EU Member States for the clinical development of new and better medicines to prevent and treat these diseases. The second phase of EDCTP, the EDCTP2 programme, has broadened its scope and includes neglected infectious diseases and emerging epidemics, such as Ebola. EDCTP2 also supports implementation research to optimise the use of new and better medicines. Its geographical scope is sub-Saharan Africa, and currently 14 European and 14 African countries alongside the EU support EDCTP financially in its endeavour. To lay the groundwork for EDCTP2, the EDCTP-Plus (Laying the foundations for the EDCTP2 programme) project identified existing national programmes, increased engagement with industry, and strengthened clinical research capacities in sub-Saharan Africa. Special emphasis was given to raising awareness, promoting the profile of EDCTP, and communicating its achievements and impact to a wider public. In a peer-reviewed article titled 'Bibliometric assessment of European and sub-Saharan research output on poverty-related diseases from 2003 to 2011', EDCTP exposed the results of an in-depth analysis of EDCTP research areas in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. To identify future research priorities, they established and convened a Scientific Advisory Committee, organised thematic stakeholder meetings and networked with multinational pharmaceutical firms. In terms of infrastructure, EDCTP-PLUS helped develop 24 laboratories for accreditation and expanded the pan-African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR). EDCTP provided training workshops in sub-Sahara Africa on financial grant management and set up the International Financial Governance Consortium (IFGC). EDCTP-PLUS activities enhanced the potential of EDCTP2 by increasing the visibility, extending the partnership and raising industrial engagement. In the long run, this should translate into improved research capacities, well-run clinical trials and effective treatments for the people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords
Research, EU, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, EDCTP, clinical trials, sub-Saharan Africa, poverty, ethics