Groundbreaking innovations to protect children and pregnant women from malaria

RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M are the first vaccines against malaria and, more broadly, against any parasitic disease. Both vaccines stimulate an immune response that prevents malaria infection.

Coartem® Baby is the first approved malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and young infants weighing 2 to less than 5 kg. It is a dissolvable tablet that can be mixed with breast milk, has a sweet cherry flavour to make administration easier, and delivers precise dosing.

Triomune Baby/Junior became the first fixed-dose combination medicine developed specifically for children with HIV and paved the way for additional improved combination therapies for first- and second-line HIV treatment in children.

This new fixed-dose combination therapy of albendazole/ivermectin targets five types of parasitic worms (four soil-transmitted helminth infections and lymphatic filariasis), which will significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of large-scale interventions.

Arpraziquantel is the first child-friendly medicine in an oro-dispersible formulation to treat and cure schistosomiasis. It is easy to administer and adapted for rural and tropical settings, offering high efficacy with minimal side effects.

Fexinidazole Winthrop and Acoziborole Winthrop are two new oral treatments for human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), known as sleeping sickness. Fexinidazole is the first all-oral therapy, while Acoziborole is the first single-dose, one-day treatment for the most common form of the disease.

This new therapy, a single high-dose of liposomal Amphotericin B, is as effective as the traditional week-long regimen, easier to administer, and causes fewer side effects. It is now the WHO-recommended therapy for cryptococcal meningitis.

EDCTP boosts Europe’s competitiveness by advancing research excellence, innovation, and public–private cooperation in global health. By supporting late-stage development and Africa–Europe partnerships, it bridges the EU innovation gap and creates new market and investment opportunities.

EDCTP strengthens Europe’s health security by tackling climate-sensitive diseases and antimicrobial resistance, enhancing surveillance, and accelerating medical countermeasures. Its rapid crisis responses, from Ebola to COVID-19, show its agility in protecting Europe and global health.

EDCTP improves health and prosperity in Africa by funding clinical research, strengthening local capacities, and empowering African scientists. Its investments reduce the burden of infectious diseases, boost productivity, and support sustainable development across the continent.

EDCTP builds Africa’s capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to outbreaks through training, research, and strong partnerships. Its work accelerates vaccine and diagnostic development and reinforces the continent’s health resilience.