Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EU-Africa PerMed (BUILDING LINKS BETWEEN EUROPE AND AFRICA IN PERSONALISED MEDICINE)
Reporting period: 2021-02-01 to 2022-07-31
EU-Africa PerMed (Building Links Between Europe and Africa in Personalised Medicine) has the overall aim of integrating African countries into ICPerMed activities, thus contributing to a successful implementation of Personalised Medicine (PM) in the global context. It will foster joint PM projects and programmes between Europe and Africa, as well as strengthening bilateral EU-AU science, technology and innovation (STI) relations in the area of health.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is showing, addressing global health challenges is only possible by building and strengthening international, inter-continental and national scientific cooperation between scientists, decision/policy makers, private practitioners, industries and health professional and civil society. EU-Africa PerMed will work towards fostering a stronger global collaboration in PM through the umbrella of ICPerMed, and by this, to better tackle global health challenges such as infectious diseases and future pandemics as well as the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The project will run for 4 years, starting on the 1st. of February 2021. The project will be implemented by a consortium of 13 partners, 6 from Europe and 7 from Africa and is organized around 7 specific objectives:
Objective 1-To identify, contact and engage with relevant health-related organisations in Africa to interact and work with throughout the project, to achieve the aims of the project.
Objective 2-To explore and analyse with relevant stakeholder, the potential for and advantages of collaboration in PM between Africa and Europe, identifying areas of mutual interest and added value for both regions and building sustainable links between both regions, as a means to integrate the African continent in the global PM agenda.
Objective 3-To foster and facilitate the integration of health research funding and policy organisations from African Union (AU) countries in the ICPerMed consortium, and in ERA PerMed.
Objective 4-To seek synergies and align with activities of ongoing EU-Africa research programmes and other by-regional policy actions, such as the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials partnerships (EDCTP) and the Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investments and jobs, as well as with international research consortiums active in Africa (GACD, GloPID-R, GAVI, IRDiRC, Global Alliance, H3Africa).
Objective 5-To carry out capacity building and training activities addressing relevant PM issues for Africa, including the wider adoption of PM standards and taking into account the social, cultural, ethical and legal aspects of the African context
Objective 6-To contribute to raising awareness of PM and the benefits of a closer inter and intra-regional collaboration, in order to advance in the implementation of PM approaches, through the dissemination and communication of the project activities and results and the planification of a long-lasting strategy beyond the duration of the project.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is showing, addressing global health challenges is only possible by building and strengthening international, inter-continental and national scientific cooperation between scientists, decision/policy makers, private practitioners, industries and health professional and civil society. EU-Africa PerMed will work towards fostering a stronger global collaboration in PM through the umbrella of ICPerMed, and by this, to better tackle global health challenges such as infectious diseases and future pandemics as well as the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The project will run for 4 years, starting on the 1st. of February 2021. The project will be implemented by a consortium of 13 partners, 6 from Europe and 7 from Africa and is organized around 7 specific objectives:
Objective 1-To identify, contact and engage with relevant health-related organisations in Africa to interact and work with throughout the project, to achieve the aims of the project.
Objective 2-To explore and analyse with relevant stakeholder, the potential for and advantages of collaboration in PM between Africa and Europe, identifying areas of mutual interest and added value for both regions and building sustainable links between both regions, as a means to integrate the African continent in the global PM agenda.
Objective 3-To foster and facilitate the integration of health research funding and policy organisations from African Union (AU) countries in the ICPerMed consortium, and in ERA PerMed.
Objective 4-To seek synergies and align with activities of ongoing EU-Africa research programmes and other by-regional policy actions, such as the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials partnerships (EDCTP) and the Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investments and jobs, as well as with international research consortiums active in Africa (GACD, GloPID-R, GAVI, IRDiRC, Global Alliance, H3Africa).
Objective 5-To carry out capacity building and training activities addressing relevant PM issues for Africa, including the wider adoption of PM standards and taking into account the social, cultural, ethical and legal aspects of the African context
Objective 6-To contribute to raising awareness of PM and the benefits of a closer inter and intra-regional collaboration, in order to advance in the implementation of PM approaches, through the dissemination and communication of the project activities and results and the planification of a long-lasting strategy beyond the duration of the project.
Main activities and achievements for this period are summarized below:
‒ The project had a virtual kick off meeting in March 2021 and has held by-monthly virtual meetings during the first 18 months, due to the impossibility to travel due to the COVID. The consortium had its first physical meeting on the 12th. July 2022 in Nairobi (Kenya). A first-year report was prepared summarizing the main work done and a first monitoring of costs (D.1.2)
‒ The mapping activities carried out in WP2 have delivered an important output of this work, the Scientific and policy mapping report (D2.1) the stakeholder mapping report (D2.2) and the policy brief on Opportunities to Advance Personalised Medicine in Africa (D2.4).
‒ The organization of the 1st. Stakeholder workshop, the first and most important project event with African stakeholders on the 9-10 Feb 2022, it provided the first opportunity to interact with African stakeholders.
‒ The East Africa regional stakeholder meeting (Nairobi, 13-14 July 2022), gathered over 70 participants different stakeholder groups coming from 5 East Africa countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda.
‒ The South African Medical Research Council as funding agency has participated in the Joint Transnational Call 2022 of ERA PerMed and has submitted a formal request to join the ICPerMed consortium in July 2022. Ethiopia has also shown interest in joining ICPerMed as a result of their participation in the East Africa stakeholder workshop.
‒ The project has organized its first webinar “Oncology: Personalised Medicine approach” on the 17th of May 2022, and has started the preparation of three more webinars during the last months of 2022.
‒ Organization of a sponsored symposium during the 10TH EDCTP FORUM (17 Oct 2021) Fostering a stronger collaboration in Personalised medicine: The EU-Africa PerMed project.
‒ Two project information days, organized as online webinars (1st and 13th Dec 2021), one in English and one in French.
‒ Organization of a special session on Personalised Medicine During the “European Union-African Union Summit, Science and Innovation side events” (14-18 February 2022).
‒ In July 2022, the consortium has started the preparation of project videos: one short video presenting EU-Africa PerMed and a longer video related to regional stakeholder engagement and promoting EU-Africa collaboration in PM.
‒ The project had a virtual kick off meeting in March 2021 and has held by-monthly virtual meetings during the first 18 months, due to the impossibility to travel due to the COVID. The consortium had its first physical meeting on the 12th. July 2022 in Nairobi (Kenya). A first-year report was prepared summarizing the main work done and a first monitoring of costs (D.1.2)
‒ The mapping activities carried out in WP2 have delivered an important output of this work, the Scientific and policy mapping report (D2.1) the stakeholder mapping report (D2.2) and the policy brief on Opportunities to Advance Personalised Medicine in Africa (D2.4).
‒ The organization of the 1st. Stakeholder workshop, the first and most important project event with African stakeholders on the 9-10 Feb 2022, it provided the first opportunity to interact with African stakeholders.
‒ The East Africa regional stakeholder meeting (Nairobi, 13-14 July 2022), gathered over 70 participants different stakeholder groups coming from 5 East Africa countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda.
‒ The South African Medical Research Council as funding agency has participated in the Joint Transnational Call 2022 of ERA PerMed and has submitted a formal request to join the ICPerMed consortium in July 2022. Ethiopia has also shown interest in joining ICPerMed as a result of their participation in the East Africa stakeholder workshop.
‒ The project has organized its first webinar “Oncology: Personalised Medicine approach” on the 17th of May 2022, and has started the preparation of three more webinars during the last months of 2022.
‒ Organization of a sponsored symposium during the 10TH EDCTP FORUM (17 Oct 2021) Fostering a stronger collaboration in Personalised medicine: The EU-Africa PerMed project.
‒ Two project information days, organized as online webinars (1st and 13th Dec 2021), one in English and one in French.
‒ Organization of a special session on Personalised Medicine During the “European Union-African Union Summit, Science and Innovation side events” (14-18 February 2022).
‒ In July 2022, the consortium has started the preparation of project videos: one short video presenting EU-Africa PerMed and a longer video related to regional stakeholder engagement and promoting EU-Africa collaboration in PM.
The genetic diversity of African populations, particularly because of the historical background, can greatly contribute to enhancing the global knowledge thereby enhancing the development of broadly applicable PM approaches and efficacious drugs and vaccines among other developments. There is great potential of PM approaches in Africa, but there are underlying deficiencies and challenges that would need to be overcome for PM to become a reality.
EU-Africa PerMed has the final objective of integrating African countries into ICPerMed activities as a means to contribute to a successful implementation of PM in the global context. Incorporating African countries in the global PM research agenda can contribute to shortening the existing health disparities between developed and developing countries, as well as facilitating the access of African countries to new tools and technologies that have the potential to make health care more efficient and equitable.
The EU-Africa PerMed project is working towards achieving the following impacts:
1. Integrating African organization in ICPerMed activities
2. Support wider adoption of PM research standards developed in Europe. Sharing standards for PM research is important to facilitate international collaboration in research projects, for the participation in PM clinical trials, sharing of data and samples.
3. Support the EU-AU policy dialogues relevant to research and health, so that Pm is better understood and incorporated in already existing and new STI policy actions and programmes.
4. Contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
Strengthening the collaboration with Africa in PM may also accelerate individual country’s progress on health-related sustainable development goals, and in this regard, the EU-Africa PerMed projects will contribute to this important global health goal.
EU-Africa PerMed has the final objective of integrating African countries into ICPerMed activities as a means to contribute to a successful implementation of PM in the global context. Incorporating African countries in the global PM research agenda can contribute to shortening the existing health disparities between developed and developing countries, as well as facilitating the access of African countries to new tools and technologies that have the potential to make health care more efficient and equitable.
The EU-Africa PerMed project is working towards achieving the following impacts:
1. Integrating African organization in ICPerMed activities
2. Support wider adoption of PM research standards developed in Europe. Sharing standards for PM research is important to facilitate international collaboration in research projects, for the participation in PM clinical trials, sharing of data and samples.
3. Support the EU-AU policy dialogues relevant to research and health, so that Pm is better understood and incorporated in already existing and new STI policy actions and programmes.
4. Contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
Strengthening the collaboration with Africa in PM may also accelerate individual country’s progress on health-related sustainable development goals, and in this regard, the EU-Africa PerMed projects will contribute to this important global health goal.