About EDCTP
EDCTP is a partnership between the governments of 15 European and 30 African countries and the European Commission, working together to alleviate the health and economic burden of infectious diseases in Africa.
Mission and vision
EDCTP’s vision is to reduce the individual, social and economic burden of poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases, including (re-)emerging infections, affecting sub-Saharan Africa.
Our mission is to accelerate the development of new or improved medical interventions and health technologies to identify, treat and prevent poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases.
Our approach is to support collaborative research, with emphasis on clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa, to generate valuable new evidence on medical interventions, and how they can best be implemented in practice. We also support researchers’ careers and the strengthening of national health research systems in sub-Saharan Africa to enhance the capacity of sub-Saharan African countries – at individual, institutional, national and regional levels – to undertake collaborative clinical research.
History and establishment of EDCTP
Launched in 2003 and renewed in 2014 and 2021 with funding through to 2031, EDCTP has been the focal point for EU support for global health research in Africa, and a visible sign of the EU’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and more recently the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, it contributes to the implementation of the EU Global Health Strategy and the African Union (AU)-EU Innovation agenda. Through its evolution, EDCTP has been driven by the infectious disease priorities of sub-Saharan Africa and the need to develop African countries’ capacity to collectively address these priorities into the future.
EDCTP1 (2003-2015)
The first EDCTP programme (EDCTP1) ran as an Article 185 Initiative of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU from 2003-2015 and operated as a European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG). The EDCTP1 programme grants portfolio comprised 254 projects (€207.99M euros) on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, including 102 clinical trials and 56 fellowships.
EDCTP2 (2014-2024)
The second EDCTP programme (EDCTP2) was launched in 2014 as another Article 185 Initiative implemented by the EDCTP Association until 2024. The programme budget comprised a commitment of up to €683 million from the EU to match the contribution (cash and in-kind) from the European countries that are members of the EDCTP Association, as well as funding from partner organisations and countries. The EDCTP2 grants portfolio comprises 438 projects (€824.30 million). These activities involve 44 African countries, 20 European countries and 8 other countries. EDCTP2 supported 206 fellowships.
Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (2021-2031)
The third EDCTP programme, Global Health EDCTP3, builds on the previous programmes and aims to address HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected infectious diseases, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory tract infections, and emerging and re-emerging infections relevant to sub-Saharan Africa. Global Health EDCTP3’s scope also includes antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate-crisis-provoked changes in infectious disease incidence, and co-infections and co-morbidities. The partnership aims for a €2 billion budget, having already secured €1.86 billion in pledges.