Enhancing networking among African and European scientists to close regional and gender disparities experienced in EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 funded health research capacity activities in sub-Saharan Africa
Start date:19 November 2019, 09:00
End date:20 November 2019, 17:00
Location:Africa CDC, Africa Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Objective: To facilitate collaborations between African and European scientists geared towards closing regional and gender imbalances seen in previously and currently funded EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 projects.
Specific objectives:
1. To brainstorm on practical solutions to address the regional, sub-regional and gender research and research capacity imbalances;
2. Prioritise and discuss potential strategies and plans to address these gaps (categorized into short, medium and long term);
3. Identify potential synergies and complementarities with the efforts and plans of EDCTP strategic partners to address these gaps.
Expected outputs:
– A clearer understanding of the challenges in regional and gender imbalances that exist within health research in sub-Saharan Africa (with a focus on EDCTP funded projects)
– To identify suitable collaborative strategies that will improve both geographical and gender distribution in future funded projects (short, medium, and long term strategies)
– To align or synergise the EDCTP efforts in the intended objective with initiatives being implemented by its like-minded partners.
Eligible participants: Scientists/researchers (from sub-Saharan Africa and Europe) working in the scope of EDCTP intending to apply for future EDCTP2 grants will be eligible to attend the planned workshop including:
– Members of the EDCTP Alumni Network
– Members of the EDCTP Regional Networks of Excellence
– EDCTP grant holders (EDCTP 1 & EDCTP2)
– EDCTP public and private regional and global partners in R&D and health research capacity development
– Any other parties interested in fulfilling the EDCTP objective.
Participants in the workshop will be selected through an open, fair and transparent process. Selection of scientists to attend the workshop will be based on their ability to justify how their participation will meet the objectives mentioned above:
– Involvement in research within the scope of the EDCTP programme 40%
– Novel potential solutions to address gender and geographical gaps 60%.
Applicants from underrepresented countries in sub-Saharan Africa and females are encouraged to apply.
Countries in sub-Saharan Africa with disproportionately low uptake of EDCTP funded projects and/or low gender balance among project coordinators include but are not limited to Angola, Benin, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Central African Republic, DRC, eSwatini (Swaziland), Gabon, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia Mauritius, Madagascar, Namibia, Niger, Sierra Leonne, Rwanda, and Togo.
http://www.edctp.org/event/call-for-participants-to-attend-workshop/
We are delighted to announce that the 13th edition of the EDCTP Forum will be celebrated on 5-9 April 2027, at IFEMA Palacio Municipal in Madrid, Spain.
The event will be co-hosted by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) under the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Fundación CSAI (FCSAI) under the Ministry of Health, and is co-organised by Global Health EDCTP3 and the EDCTP Association.
Over the past two decades, the biennial European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Forum has evolved to become a cornerstone event for global health research, bringing together leading voices advancing the fight against infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. It showcases the latest scientific breakthroughs, highlights impactful capacity-building efforts, and creates a space for vibrant cross-regional collaboration.
The EDCTP Forum 2027 expects to convene 1,500 participants and stakeholders, from researchers, universities and clinicians to governments, regional bodies, civil society, regulators, and public and private R&D partners, drawing participation primarily from Africa and Europe.
Botswana-born scientist Dr Tuelo Mogashoa, a PhD Fellow in the ‘Addressing Gender and Diversity Regional Gaps in Clinical Research Capacity’ (TAGENDI) programme, has successfully defended her PhD in Molecular Biology (Tuberculosis Genomics) at Stellenbosch University. Her virtual oral examination, held on 12 January 2025, marked the culmination of years of research and training.
Her doctoral thesis, titled “Rifampicin- resistant tuberculosis: an emerging threat to human health in Botswana,” addresses one of the most pressing challenges in TB control.
Dr Mogashoa is the first of seven PhD fellows from the inaugural TAGENDI cohort to complete her doctoral studies. The TAGENDI fellowship, implemented under the Trials of Excellence in Southern Africa (TESA) Network, is part of a dedicated PhD fellowship scheme launched by EDCTP2 in 2020 to support women in health research across sub-Saharan Africa. Coordinated by the EDCTP Networks of Excellence, the initiative received funding from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (Department of Health and Social Care).
As part of her PhD requirements, Dr Mogashoa was expected to produce four manuscripts, with at least two accepted in peer-reviewed journals. She has exceeded this requirement, publishing three peer-reviewed articles from her doctoral work, with a fourth manuscript currently under review.
Her journey highlights the transformative impact of long-term investment in research training, mentorship, and gender equity. As she moves into the next phase of her career, her work promises to make a meaningful contribution to improving TB diagnosis, treatment, and control.
Prof. Novel Chegou, EDCTP Senior Fellow and Acting Head of the Division of Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, has been elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. This important achievement recognises his scientific leadership and impactful research on tuberculosis, particularly his work on biomarkers to improve diagnosis and patient care in resource-limited settings.
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