Malawian Doctor, institutions contribute to live saving research, vaccines

Malawi’s involvement in the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) has led to significant contributions to the development of life-saving medicines and vaccines in Africa.

Dr. Thomas Nyirenda, a Malawian and head of the EDCTP Africa Office, sheds light on the organization’s history and its impact on global health.

EDCTP was formed in 2003 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.

Dr Nyirenda: We are not relenting.

The partnership has made tremendous progress, funding over 500 clinical studies on the African continent and supporting over 3,000 African researchers and health professionals with specialist training.

Malawi has benefited significantly from EDCTP’s programs, with research institutions such as the Kamuzu University of Health and Allied Sciences (KUHeS) and the Ministry of Health receiving funding.

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.

According to Dr Nyirenda, some notable examples of life-saving interventions developed through EDCTP’s collaborative initiatives include

• Triomune Baby/Junior: A medicine developed specifically for children with HIV.
• Liposomal Amphotericin B: A single high-dose injection for treating cryptococcal meningitis, a deadly form of meningitis that commonly affects people with HIV.
• RTS,S and R21 malaria vaccines: Vaccines that could prevent millions of illnesses and save thousands of children every year.
• Coartem Baby: A new formulation for children with malaria.
• Arpraziquantel: A tablet for treating Bilharzia in children.
• Fexinidazole: A better medicine for treating sleeping sickness.
• GeneXpert: A DNA test for diagnosing TB quickly and accurately.

The EDCTP’s current program, Global Health EDCTP3, has a total budget of €1.8 billion and aims to address new challenges such as antimicrobial resistance and climate-driven health outbreaks. With its focus on global health collaborations beyond Africa, EDCTP is poised to make even greater contributions to global health security.

As Dr. Nyirenda notes, “EDCTP is here for much longer,” and its work will continue to benefit not just Malawi, but the entire African continent and beyond.