A 765,000 euro network to bring together 12 institutions researching the tuberculosis vaccine in Africa and Europe is set to be launched on 15 November 2011. The network aims to improve collaboration, set up joint activities and exchange knowledge.
The network focuses largely on improving and developing clinical trial sites where vaccines are being tested. According to network developers, the move is important as TB vaccine development took a great leap over the past ten years and potential vaccines are now being evaluated. Capacity building of trial sites is crucial in this phase.
The Collaboration and integration of tuberculosis vaccine trials in Europe and Africa (TBTEA) project is financed by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Germany and Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative from the Netherlands.
Tuberculosis kills almost one and a half million people per year.
Every year close to nine million people are diagnosed with this debilitating disease. Along with the human suffering, TB causes a huge financial burden and harms economies.
The only currently available vaccine provides very limited protection and so new and more effective vaccines are urgently needed.
Scientists have made tremendous progress in researching and developing new vaccines, but in order to deliver these to the market it is crucial to access sufficient resources and institute broad collaboration.
The TBTEA offers many benefits to all partners involved. It will contribute to improving sustainable research infrastructures in African countries where TB is a public health threat and it will prevent overlap and unnecessary duplication of work.
European partners can learn how to make more efficient use of existing trial sites whereas African partners will benefit from the translation of European knowledge.
African postdoctoral researchers will perform experiments in collaboration with European organizations, and workshops and field site visits will be organised.
Among the collaborative institutions from Africa include South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), University of Cape Town, South Africa, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere University, Uganda, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Ethiopia, Espoir Pour La Santé (EPLS) and Hospitalier CHU Le Dantec of Senegal.
