12th  European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Forum

Last month, I had the privilege of attending the 12^th EDCTP Forum organized by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Forum presents a fantastic opportunity for discussing the latest research on poverty-related and neglected diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as initiatives centred around research capacity strengthening and networking.  

This year’s forum, under the theme “Better health through global research partnerships”, featured a broad range of sessions that appealed to the varied interests of the over 1200 participants who attended the event at the Kigali Conference Centre. As the Director of Global Stakeholder Engagement at Target Malaria, I was particularly interested in sessions that encouraged partnerships, and I was fortunate that partnerships were one of the core themes running through the event.  

🎙️ 'There’s no idea, person or initiative too small to matter.'
– Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda’s Minister of Health

With these words, the Twelfth #EDCTPForum officially opened, setting the tone for a week of #GlobalHealth collaboration, innovation and impact. pic.twitter.com/OHiaiMeGOk

— Global Health EDCTP3 (@EDCTP3) June 15, 2025

One session that really struck me was “Building strong networks for disease surveillance, epidemic response and clinical research” which highlighted the incredible work being conducted by SCALE-IT (Scaling up capacity to support conduct of clinical trials in the East Africa Community) at Makerere University in Uganda. SCALE-IT works with leading East African experts, regulators and other stakeholders to assess and prepare for existing and future trials that may be more complex and innovative.  

In addition to partnerships, another core message that resonated with me was the need for “African-led solutions to African problems”. In the context of challenging times for public health on the continent and beyond, my experience in Kigali has filled me with optimism. Currently, there is a unified voice of African researchers dedicated to maintaining and increasing the richness of the African health research ecosystem, and Europe, via platforms like EDCTP, remains a “steadfast partner through that journey”.  

The 13^th EDCTP Forum will be hosted in Madrid, Spain in 2027, and I already can’t wait!