As the stories in this Annual Report clearly show, EDCTP2-funded projects are now generating evidence that is influencing policy and practice, ultimately benefiting people who live in sub-Saharan Africa.

EDCTP2 programme has always occupied a distinctive niche. While many other agencies have focused on discovery and early-stage development, EDCTP has focused on later-stage development and implementation with the goal of overcoming practical challenges and achieving real-world impact, particularly among populations that are typically excluded from pivotal clinical trials, such as children, pregnant women, and people with co-infections (including HIV) and co-morbidities, who may face delayed access to new interventions.

EDCTP has supported clinical research that led to the development of new medications in forms suitable for young children to take, something that was often lacking. New child-friendly formulations undergo rigorous development, evaluation and approval processes. In 2024, these steps were completed for arpraziquantel, a version of praziquantel suitable for pre-school-age children that was developed by the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium with the support of EDCTP2 and the Japan-based Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) initiative. In 2025, the first children received arpraziquantel in Uganda as part of the ADOPT project, which is working with national disease control agencies to accelerate introduction.

Similarly, a child-friendly formulation of albendazole combined with ivermectin, developed by the STOP Consortium, has demonstrated efficacy against a broader range of parasitic worms and will be easier to use in practice. This new fixed-dose combination received a positive scientific opinion from the European Medicines Agency in early 2025, which is expected to expedite national approvals and introductions.

Women living with HIV have been another priority population. The MAMAH project has demonstrated that dihydroxyartemisinin–piperaquine (DHP) is suitable for malaria prevention in women living with HIV during pregnancy, who cannot be given other antimalarials because of interactions with drugs used to prevent bacterial infections.

The other key goal of EDCTP2 has been to build research capacity, and again there is now strong evidence that its objectives are being successfully achieved. It is essential that clinical research is carried out in accordance with international standards to protect participants and maintain public trust. EDCTP2 has funded multiple projects to strengthen countries’ research oversight systems, including research ethics committees and national regulatory agencies. In addition, the introduction of digital systems has greatly increased efficiency, making countries more attractive sites for conducting research and reducing the time taken to evaluate urgently needed interventions.

EDCTP has established an extensive fellowship programme, with a focus on Senior Fellowships and Career Development Fellowships. Many recipients of the latter are making significant progress, successfully transitioning into independent researchers and emerging as leaders in their respective fields.

EDCTP has also been working to improve the early stages of the research career pipeline, such as through its partnership with the Africa Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC), which has provided master’s training in epidemiology and biostatistics to 150 students from sub-Saharan African countries across ten programmes. Additionally, programmes at EDCTP regional Networks of Excellence are supporting PhD training of women researchers.

The impact being achieved by EDCTP2 projects demonstrates that the EDCTP approach is highly effective and complements the efforts of other organisations active in global health. The core elements of the EDCTP2 strategy have been maintained in Global Health EDCTP3, which, with its increased budget and scope, is expected to deliver even more impact than EDCTP2.

Dr Henning Gädeke
Chair, EDCTP Association Board

Dr Henning Gädeke
Chair, EDCTP Association Board