New projects target real-world solutions for HIV, malaria, neglected diseases and antimicrobial resistance

Spanning areas such as HIV, malaria, neglected infectious diseases, and digital health, these initiatives aim to deliver tangible impact where it is needed most. The newly signed projects represent an investment of €161 million, complemented by an additional €29 million committed to projects currently under grant preparation. 

HIV therapeutics (€11.8 million, two projects) 

To improve treatment options and outcomes for people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, Global Health EDCTP3 is supporting research into safer and more effective therapies. 

• CHAPAS-5: Will test new antiretroviral regimens for children and adolescents living with HIV.
• ELDORADO: Will assess the safety of current HIV medication and explore alternative first-line treatments for adults. 

A further €11.7 million has been committed to projects under grant preparation.  

Malaria vaccines (€30 million, two projects) 

To accelerate progress toward malaria control and elimination, Global Health EDCTP3 is funding research to improve existing vaccines and advance promising new candidates. 

• MVC-2G: Will clinically test and optimise a second-generation malaria vaccine while supporting African scientific capacity and early regulatory engagement to enable widespread, sustainable use.
• PfVIMT: Will advance the first multi-stage vaccine combining R21 and Pfs230D1 to block both infection and transmission, aiming for accelerated approval and long-term malaria elimination. 

A further €5.3 million has been committed to projects under grant preparation.  

Neglected Infectious Diseases (NIDs) (€37 million, eight projects) 

To overcome treatment gaps, drug resistance, and health inequities, these projects focus on integrated, patient-centred approaches, targeting hard-to-reach populations and advancing simpler, safer, and more accessible treatments. 

• 3SI-CONTROL: Will test an integrated treatment strategy for T. solium, soil-transmitted helminths, and schistosomiasis using a fixed-dose combination to improve drug efficacy and implementation.
• EMINENCE: Will evaluate moxidectin to eliminate onchocerciasis in persistent hotspots in Central Africa.
• FAME: Will test fusidic acid against Onchocerca volvulus, with the goal of delivering a breakthrough therapy to accelerate the elimination of river blindness.
• IVM-KIDS: Will develop and test a paediatric-friendly, orodispersible ivermectin formulation to safely treat young children with neglected tropical diseases, addressing a critical gap identified by WHO.
• MAMS4CL: Will assess the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of five novel interventions through an innovative, adaptive clinical trial, in order to address the urgent need for better cutaneous leishmaniasis treatments.
• TEBULA: Will assess telacebec as a shorter and safer treatment for Buruli ulcer and leprosy.
• TreatPreg: Will evaluate the safety and impact of co-administered antiparasitic drugs during pregnancy to reduce anaemia and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
• WINGS-4-FGS: Will improve the diagnosis and treatment of female genital schistosomiasis and integrate care into reproductive health services. 

Antimicrobial resistance (€27.8 million, five projects) 

The selected projects focus on stewardship, diagnostics, and improved treatments, particularly for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and tuberculosis. 

• ASPIRE: Will improve hospital hygiene and optimise antibiotic use in Ethiopia and Ghana.
• ComBac-Africa: Will enhance diagnosis and access to new antibiotics for resistant Gram-negative infections in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria.
• EX-DR TB: Aims to combat the rise of bedaquiline-resistant TB by enhancing diagnostics, refining treatment guidelines, and conducting a Phase III trial of new drug regimens to support global regulatory approval.
• TASP: Will pilot stewardship strategies to manage and prevent bedaquiline-resistant tuberculosis.
• PediSEP1: Focuses on decreasing unnecessary antibiotic treatments in sub-Saharan African hospitals through risk-stratified care and enhanced monitoring tools to combat AMR. 

Vector control (€24.2 million, five projects) 

These projects will test innovative tools, surveillance systems, and biological strategies targeting mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors. 

• DEFEND: Will test a new malaria strategy using TC1 bacteria to block parasite development and fast-track approval through an innovative trial approach.
• IMPACTING: Will model how climate change affects multiple vector-borne diseases and develop tools for surveillance, transmission-blocking, and community-led control.
• LASR: Will compare long-acting spatial repellents with indoor spraying to reduce malaria in western Kenya.
• ResTick: Will build early warning systems and develop diagnostics to monitor and control tick-borne diseases like Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in sub-Saharan Africa.
• VectorGrid-Africa: Will create a sustainable, African-led data network for long-term monitoring of mosquito-borne diseases, integrating entomological, genomic, climatic, and health data to guide interventions and policy. 

Digital health innovations (€26.7 million, six projects) 

These projects aim to strengthen health systems and research in sub-Saharan Africa by developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, diagnostic platforms, and integrated digital solutions tailored to local needs. 

• AFRICAI-RI: will build Sub-Saharan Africa’s first federated biomedical imaging and AI research infrastructure to transform respiratory healthcare and foster lasting innovation.
• CAD LUS4TB: Will use AI-assisted lung ultrasound to improve tuberculosis screening in community settings in Benin, Mali and South Africa.
• LINDA-FAMILIA: Seeks to deploy a digital health information system in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda to strengthen health systems and facilitate epidemiological research using routinely collected data.
• MultiplexAI: Aims to deliver scalable, trustworthy, and high-throughput diagnostics for multiple parasitic diseases by upgrading existing microscopes with AI, improving early detection and health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
• SDx: Will strengthen continuity of care for children after hospitalisation by linking community health workers with hospitals through a risk-based, digital care platform.
• SkincAIr: Will equip health workers with AI tools for early detection and mapping of skin NTDs, improving diagnosis, surveillance, and awareness in Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

A further €5 million has been committed to projects under grant preparation.  

Training fellowships with return phase (€3.5 million, one project) 

The fellowship programmes will target early and mid-career African global health scientists seeking international academic credentials and other professional development. 

• SAHRI-Fellowship: Will equip 12 African researchers with the skills to lead health innovation and tackle infectious diseases in their home countries through advanced degrees, mentorship, and hands-on internships. BioNTech will contribute financially to this programme. 

A further €7 million has been committed to projects under grant preparation.