Malawi’s involvement in the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is expected to significantly improve the country’s health outcomes.
According to Dr. Thomas Nyirenda, a Malawian and head of the EDCTP Africa Office, the partnership has led to the development of life-saving medicines and vaccines in Africa.
The EDCTP, formed in 2003, aims to accelerate clinical research, build capacity, and strengthen regulatory ecosystems across Africa and Europe to combat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected diseases.
Malawi has benefited from EDCTP’s programs, with research institutions like Kamuzu University of Health and Allied Sciences (KUHeS) and the Ministry of Health receiving funding.
According to Dr Nyirenda, between 2004 and 2014, Malawi received €6,592,359.53 in funding, while between 2014 and 2024, the country received €10,998,000.
“These funds have enabled Malawian researchers to contribute to the development of life-saving interventions, including vaccines and medicines for diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis,” he said.
Some notable examples of life-saving interventions developed through EDCTP are Triomune Baby/Junior, a medicine developed specifically for children with HIV as well as Liposomal Amphotericin B, a single high-dose injection for treating cryptococcal meningitis.
It has also developed, RTS,S and R21 malaria vaccines, vaccines that could prevent millions of illnesses and save thousands of children every year.
According to Dr Nyirenda, the development also saw Coartem Baby, a new formulation for children with malaria.
