Accra: Dr Michael Makanga, the Executive Director of the Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (Global Health EDCTP3), has emphasized the urgent need for investment in resilient health systems as a preventive measure against future pandemics on the scale of COVID-19. He stressed the importance of building research capacity to tackle the next pandemic and beyond while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Research Conference. According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Makanga highlighted the significance of purpose-driven breakthroughs, stating, "If an emerging threat hits tomorrow, we are ready to launch a trial within 30 days - ethically, safely and collaboratively." The conference, themed "Global Health Resilience Emerging Threats, Policy Impacts and Sustainable Solutions," drew participants from 11 countries, including Georgetown, Switzerland, and the UK. Dr Makanga described the EDCTP platform as a unique European and A frican partnership, supported by the European Union and over 40 countries, focusing on infectious diseases prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. "We fund clinical trials and studies, train researchers, and strengthen the African clinical research ecosystem, ensuring that solutions are developed where they are most needed and global health security is increased," he explained. He further stated that Global Health EDCTP3 contributes to competitiveness, innovation, and scientific excellence, aligning with key policies such as Horizon Europe, the EU Global Health Strategy, the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and well-being. Dr Makanga disclosed that the EDCTP project, with a budget of 443 million Euros for 111 projects across 64 countries, allocated 276 million Euros to African countries for 36 projects, while EU member states received 119 million Euros for 16 projects over the past four years. Over the last 21 years, more than 3 billion Euros have been invested in capacity strengthening and research work. He emphasized that their integrated approach targets major infectious disease threats in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on all stages of clinical evaluation, particularly late-stage studies, with a special emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet medical needs. The future goals include strengthening the African clinical trials ecosystem, innovative clinical trial design, capacity development, digital innovations, ethics and regulation, community engagement, networks, and financing. Dr Makanga also highlighted the establishment of the Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry, the first World Health Organisation (WHO) accredited clinical trials registry in Africa, which maps clinical trials conducted on the continent. Additionally, EDCTP has supported over 600 clinical studies, including more than 180 clinical trials in phases two and three, and invested in genomic surveillance, epidemiology capacity, and regional networks of excellen ce and epidemic response consulting. Some of the groundbreaking achievements mentioned by Dr Makanga include appropriate HIV treatment for children (TriomuneBaby/Junior), patient-friendly medicine for acute sleeping sickness (Fexinidazone Winthrop), and protection for children and women from malaria (PyramaxR and CoatemR Baby), among others. Dr Sofonias Asrat, Coordinator of Health Systems, WHO Ghana, noted that resilience is not just the capacity to respond to crises but also the ability to anticipate, absorb, adapt, and transform in the face of adversity, with Ghana serving as a powerful example of this commitment. He highlighted Ghana's efforts in institutionalization, partnerships, and digitalization of surveillance to make its health systems more inclusive. Prof Lydia Aziato, Vice Chancellor of UHAS, underscored the importance of collaboration between researchers and practitioners to create interventions that consider social, cultural, and spiritual factors within communities.
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