Working in partnership – a core value of Global Health EDCTP3
Working in partnership is one of the core values of Global Health EDCTP3 and it is also part of its essence.
Global Health EDCTP3 is a unique partnership between the European Commission - representing the European Union (EU) - and the EDCTP Association – currently representing the governments of 15 European and 28 sub-Saharan African countries.
So how does Global Health EDCTP3 build and reinforce its partnership with the European Commission, and member countries to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and increase health security globally?
First, through its governance model. Global Health EDCTP3 is led by a Governing Board and half of the membership is composed by six representatives from different Directorate-Generals (DGs) of the European Commission, representing the European Union:
• The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD)
• The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA)
• The Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA)
• The Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE)
• The Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW).
The other half of the Governing Board is composed of six representatives of the EDCTP Association, representing 28 sub-Saharan and 15 European countries. In this partnership of equals, both the EU and the EDCTP Association have 50% of the voting rights.
Second, by establishing coordination mechanisms at technical level with the different European Commission DGs. Under the leadership of DG RTD, regular sherpa meetings with the key DGs have been established to promote knowledge sharing and synergies between the different EU programmes that impact on the scope and mission of Global Health EDCTP3.
Let us take the example of the collaboration with DG INTPA. Coordination meetings have been established every two months for exchanges of information between teams, especially on calls for proposals’ topics and areas of mutual interest in global health and research capacity. At strategic level, the Executive Director of Global Health EDCTP3 – Michael Makanga – meets regularly with his counterpart Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General at DG INTPA. The last meeting took place on 16 February 2024.
As a result of this growing collaboration, three of the 2024 Global Health EDCTP3 Work Programme calls for proposals promote a coordination with the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (‘MAV+’), aiming to encourage potential applicants to develop technology transfer agreements with African counterparts and ensure early engagement with regulators or African manufacturers to support the access to affordable medicines. In addition, coordination with the Team Europe Initiatives on Sustainable Health Security - Africa, Public Health Capacity - Africa and Digital Health - Africa was enhanced as part of the Work Programme 2024.
Reinforcing the cooperation with the EU Delegations in Africa is next on the agenda to ensure that synergies can be created at regional and national levels with other EU-funded programmes, notably led by DG INTPA.
Third and last, a key pillar of the cooperation of Global Health EDCTP3 with African stakeholders will take place through a partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC).
In March 2024, DG INTPA signed on behalf of the European Commission (together with DG SANTE, HERA and DG RTD) a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Africa CDC. The aim is to increase mutual collaboration between the African Union (AU) and the EU in the areas of health security, health products manufacturing and enabling environment development, quality of care, disease prevention and health promotion.
Building on a previous successful MoU between the EDCTP2 programme and Africa CDC, Global Health EDCTP3 comes in as a strategic partner, especially with regards to innovative health products clinical development and their manufacturing in Africa.
More specifically, under this new MoU, Global Health EDCTP3 will exchange with Africa CDC on advancing the clinical development and validation of new or improved therapies, vaccines and health technologies for the identification, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases.
More information about Global Health EDCTP3 governance is available on this page.