//Launch of EDCTP2

Launch of EDCTP2

Launch of EDCTP2

The high-level event held in Cape Town, South Africa marked the launch of the second programme of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) on 2 December 2014.

Here is an overview of the event in photos.

In his opening speech, Georg Schütte, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, illustrated the value of EDCTP from the point of view of a European member country and called for a courageous cultural shift in order to recognise the significance of Africa.
Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, visited the research and treatment clinic (site B) at Khayelitsha, Cape Town, accompanied by Dr Graeme Meintjes, coordinator of the EDCTP-funded clinical trial Pred-ART which studies possible treatment for TB-IRIS (Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome) in TB-HIV co-infected patients starting antiretroviral therapy.
Commissioner Moedas addressed the participants of the meeting at the welcome reception on World Aids Day, 1 December 2014.
Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa, delivering her opening address to the participants of the High-Level Launch Event for EDCTP2. She said South Africa was proud to be part of EDCTP and mentioned the increased commitment of African countries an exciting aspect of EDCTP2. Later, in her closing words at the end of the meeting, she urged EDCTP to be very ambitious.
The keynote speech by Rose Leke, Chair of the Board of the Cameroon National Medical Research Institute, discussed the critical challenges for the second programme and urged scientists to “dream big, bold and beyond our present horizons”.
Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Professor of Global Health, called in his key note address for “innovation for impact” and for a constant search for productive partnerships. He regarded South-South partnerships as “a potential game changer in the power structure of research”.
The third keynote speech on research challenges for EDCTP2 was delivered by Paul Stoffels, Worldwide Chairman of Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Belgium. He welcomed the second EDCTP programme as industry had the technology but would need collaboration with other institutions to be able to conduct trials quickly. He stress the need for urgency in addressing global health challenges and building the necessary research capacity including good laboratories.
Mark Palmer (MRC, United Kingdom), Chair of the EDCTP General Assembly, delivered the laudation for Pascoal Mocumbi, former Prime-Minister of Mozambique and EDCTP High Representative from 2003 until 2014 for his contribution to developing the support for EDCTP, especially from governments and international organisations of sub-Saharan Africa.
Francois Bompart, Chair of the Global Health Initiative at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, and Vice-President and Medical Director of Access to Medicines at Sanofi, France, one of several industry representatives at the meeting. The second EDCTP programme aims for extensive collaboration with industry and private funders.
Minister Pandor and Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, interviewed for the e.TV Sunrise programme before the start of the launch meeting.
The first panel discussion on addressing global and national health challenges through EDCTP with (left to right): George Schütte (chair; Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany), Nkando Luo (Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, Zambia), Glenda Grey (MRC South Africa), Roger Genet (Ministry of Higher Education and Research, France), Sarah Louise Barber (WHO South Africa), Marcellino Lucas (Ministry of Health, Mozambique), John Gyapong (representing the Minister of Health of Ghana), and Mountaga Tall (Minister of Higher Education and Research, Mali, with Prof. Abdoulaye Djimde interpreting).
Second panel discussion on connecting the health delivery chain with: Bruno Itoua (Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Congo) speaking and (left to right) Hassan Mshinda (chair; Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology, Tanzania), Samuel Okware (representing the Prime Minister of Uganda), Martin Ota (WHO Regional Office for Africa), and Leonor Parreira (Ministry of Education and Science, Portugal). Not visible panellists: Paul Lartey (Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, Ghana), K. Sikwese (African Community Advisory Board, Zambia).
The third round table discussion on social responsibility, partnership and long-term investments was joined by (left to right): co-chairs Tumani Corrah (MRC The Gambia) and Bernadette Murgue (IMMI/Aviesan, France) and Trevor Mundel (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Isabel Mota (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal), William Mwatu (Tried Approach Ltd, Kenya and former Chair of the Federation of East African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers), François Bompart (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations), and Shiva Dustdar (European Investment Bank).