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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/

On Monday 19 August 2019, the World Health Organisation (AFRO) awarded Dr Misaki Wayengera the 1st prize for the WHO Innovation Challenge in the Product Development Category.

Dr Wayengera (TMA2016CDF1545) and his team from Makerere University have developed a rapid test for Ebola that has the potential to be used for cross boarder screening.

Congratulations on this great achivement!

https://www.basepairbio.com/elasa-aptamer-based-elisa/

On 30 July 2019, the European Comission published an outline of its plan for the next EDCTP programme:

"This initiative aims to increase health security in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, building on the current partnership between the EU, its Member States and sub-Saharan countries."

"It will speed up the development of effective, safe, accessible and affordable health technologies and health system interventions for infectious diseases, together with African partners and international funders."

The European Commission would like to hear your views, which will be published on the website of the Commission.

The Road map for the 'EU-Africa Global Health Partnership (Horizon Europe programme)' is open to feedback for four weeks. Therefore, the deadline for a reaction is until 27 August 2019.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2019-4972489_en

Feedback will be taken into account for further development and fine-tuning of the initiative. The Commission will summarise the input received in a report explaining how the input will be taken on board and, if applicable, why certain suggestions can't be taken up.

The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Community of Scientists include the NEF Fellows and Ambassadors, Africa’s Brain Trust. The NEF Fellows Programme showcases Africa’s best young scientists on the global stage. NEF Ambassadors are the NEF’s young science and technology champions, one from each African country. Ambassadors organize Africa Science Week in their countries.

https://nef.org/nef-fellows/