The network includes research institutions and political partners from Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Tanzania and Germany. It is envisaged that the networks for Eastern, Western and Southern Africa will start their activities later this year.

The number of clinical trials on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria conducted in Africa is increasing sharply and is expected to further increase in the coming years. The question is whether the countries of sub-Saharan Africa have sufficient clinical trials centres that are well equipped and staffed to ensure that these trials are conducted according to internationally acceptable standards.

EDCTP an  instrument for funding research in Europe therefore set up a grant programme to fund regional Networks of Excellence, in which clinical trial centres from various African countries in Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Africa are interlinked at regional level.

This is to complement each other in building capacity to design and conduct large multi-centre clinical trials on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and other related diseases. Ultimately, the four networks will also work in collaboration and complement each other.

CANTAM

The Central Africa Network on Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria for the Conduct of Clinical Trials (CANTAM) is the first network that will start on a regional level to develop capacities in the areas of good clinical and laboratory practice (GCP and GLP), data management, quality control, and ethics among others.

As project coordinator, the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Secretariat Coordinator will be working hand in hand with participating research institutions in Central Africa, with guidance and political goodwill from the OCEAC.

The network includes the following partner institutions: Cameroon - University of Buea, University of Yaoundé, Centre International de Référence Chantal Biya, and the Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte Contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), Congo - University Marie Ngouabi and Centre d’Etudes des Ressources Végétales.

It also includes Gabon - The Medical Research Unit of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital Tanzania - Multilateral Initiative on Malaria andGermany - The University of Tübingen.