Europe-Africa R&D partnership waits while EU debates

Executive director looks to the future of clinical research initiative focused on sub-Saharan Africa

As political discussions continue over the size of the European Union’s future R&D budget against a backdrop of redirected research funds and fiscal belt-tightening due to Covid-19, Michael Makanga would be justified in having concerns for the future of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership.

But Makanga, executive director of the EDCTP, says he is confident of political support for renewed funding for the EU-backed initiative, which links health R&D in Europe and Africa. “I always have an optimistic view. We recognise that there are economic constraints, but the EDCTP is really the flagship European-African programme,” he says.