Addis Ababa, February 18, 2025 (FMC) – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Global Health European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (Global Health EDCTP3) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance their shared goal of improving public health in Africa. This agreement reinforces their collaboration in bolstering health research, clinical trials, and pandemic preparedness across the continent.
This MoU builds on a pre-existing partnership and arrives at a time of increased global health difficulties, including climate change, ongoing conflicts, and restricted financial resources. Through this MoU, Africa CDC and Global Health EDCTP3 commit to close cooperation and continuous engagement to achieve their common objectives.
Building on a prior MoU between the EDCTP Association and Africa CDC in 2021, the new agreement introduces a structured Joint Action Plan (2025-2027) with six key areas of collaboration. These include strengthening the public health workforce in sub-Saharan Africa through health research capacity building and training of researchers, strengthening AU member States’ clinical trials ecosystems, advancing clinical development and research on new or improved interventions against infectious diseases prevalent across AU Member States, supporting capacity building activities linked to research and innovation and enabling equitable action-oriented partnerships. Finally, the two organizations will collaborate on the Pandemic Fund as implementing entities depending on the outcome of the selection process.
Africa CDC and Global Health EDCTP3 will cooperate to implement a program of work within these themes. A Joint Action Plan will serve as a framework for resource mobilization, aligning with each organization’s strategic priorities. Both organizations are committed to exploring synergies between public and private investments to enhance research, manufacturing, and capacity-building efforts across the continent.
Dr. Michael Makanga, Executive Director of Global Health EDCTP3, expressed enthusiasm for the renewed MoU, emphasizing its role in strengthening joint efforts in research, capacity building, and equitable partnerships. He anticipates significant achievements in this next phase of the partnership.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, hailed the partnership as a bold step toward strengthening Africa’s health research, clinical trial ecosystems, and pandemic preparedness. He highlighted the commitment to African-led solutions, sustainable innovations, and the expansion of local manufacturing.
The signing of this MoU marks a significant step forward in ensuring that African-led public health initiatives receive the necessary technical and financial support to drive sustainable impact. As Africa faces evolving health challenges, the reinforced partnership will play a pivotal role in enhancing preparedness and response efforts.