Novo Nordisk Foundation and Global Health EDCTP3 launch funding partnership to advance global health research

Up to €18 million to support infectious and non-communicable disease research

Global Health EDCTP3 and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have announced a funding partnership to support research aimed at improving health outcomes in Africa and strengthening global health innovation, with the Novo Nordisk Foundation contributing up to €18 million to the initiative.

This partnership will advance key research priority areas under Global Health EDCTP3 Work Programmes for 2026 and 2027, including a 2026 call for project proposals focused on developing new prevention and treatment approaches for lower respiratory tract infections in sub-Saharan Africa. 

A share of the Foundation’s contribution will be targeted at projects that contribute towards improved understanding of how infectious diseases interact with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The funding partnership also includes gold sponsorship of the EDCTP Forum 2027, a cornerstone event for global health, which will take place in Madrid, Spain, from 5-9 April 2027.

A partnership to respond to increasingly complex health challenges

The collaboration comes at a time when both organisations are expanding their efforts to address some of the world's most pressing health challenges and when transformative partnerships are increasingly needed to sustain global health research and innovation.

'This partnership model strengthens our work in the global health ecosystem, engaging philanthropic allies in a symbiotic manner, while protecting public governance led by European and African countries. By combining resources, we can fund critical research and development to combat Africa’s dual burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases.'

Michael Makanga, Executive Director, Global Health EDCTP3.

The partnership reflects growing recognition that health challenges in Africa are becoming increasingly complex. While infectious diseases remain a major burden, NCDs are rising rapidly across the continent, creating new challenges for health systems, patients and researchers. 

A model for philanthropic engagement

'The world is facing increasingly complex disease patterns and growing pressures on health systems. At the same time, we are seeing unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery, health innovation and international collaboration. In this context, Global Health EDCTP3 offers an attractive model for philanthropic organisations such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation to maximise our impact in global health research and innovation through African-European collaboration - ensuring that effective health solutions reach those who need them most.'

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Chief Executive Officer, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The agreement also aligns with the Novo Nordisk Foundation's ambition to accelerate its global impact in human and planetary health, including in East Africa, as well as an increased commitment to strengthen research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe.

A first step towards deeper cooperation

Both organisations view this partnership as an important first step towards a broader and more ambitious collaboration in the future. Discussions are already underway on how cooperation could be expanded under a potential successor programme to Global Health EDCTP3. At a time when the global health architecture is undergoing profound and lasting change, sustained commitment and leadership from strategic partners and Member States will be essential to build on the progress achieved so far. 

As a founding member of EDCTP and home to leading research institutions such as the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark has helped drive more than two decades of historic progress in global health research and innovation. Its continued leadership will be vital in shaping the future of Global Health EDCTP3 and translating science and innovation into lasting benefits for Europe, Africa and beyond.

'This partnership between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Global Health EDCTP3 demonstrates how philanthropic funders, governments, and research organisations across Europe and Africa can work together to strengthen research capacity and accelerate the development of new solutions to major global health challenges. As a research institution with longstanding engagement in global health and Denmark's representative in the EDCTP Association, Statens Serum Institut (SSI) welcomes this initiative and its contribution to strengthening scientific partnerships and advancing research and innovation across Europe and Africa.'

Henrik Ullum, Chief Executive Officer, Statens Serum Institut (SSI).

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation

Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society