The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund and Institut Pasteur de Dakar have announced a new partnership to drive research and development for new diagnostics and vaccines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) have joined forces in a collaborative effort to advance R&D in the field of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The two institutions will collaborate to foster the development of cutting-edge solutions to combat infectious diseases in Africa and beyond.
The partnership aims to accelerate product development for neglected diseases in LMICs, such as malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases, which disproportionally afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations.
In addition to developing therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostic research and development, the project also seeks to strengthen collaboration and support low-cost vaccine and diagnostics manufacturing in LMICs through technology transfer and knowledge sharing with Japanese pharmaceutical companies and academia.
The organisations hope this will not only improve access to essential health technologies but also contribute to the development of a sustainable local health infrastructure.
“Established a century ago, IPD has built end-to-end capabilities to advance public health and life sciences in Africa,” said Dr Amadou Alpha Sall, CEO of IPD.
“This collaboration with GHIT presents a tremendous opportunity to leverage our respective expertise to respond to new challenges faced across Africa. We look forward to working together toward the development of innovative solutions that will benefit communities most in need.”
IPD, a Senegalese nonprofit foundation, focuses on advancing healthcare access in Africa through biomedical research, manufacturing essential vaccines and diagnostics. The organisation is one of the four WHO-prequalified manufacturers to supply yellow fever vaccines to UN Agencies.
The foundation also engages in public health activities, including surveillance and diagnostics through its Syndromic Sentinel Surveillance in Senegal (4S Network). The network supports over 22 African countries in epidemic outbreak detection and management.
The GHIT Fund, meanwhile, aims to accelerate the development of medicines, vaccines and diagnostics to combat infectious diseases.
The fund was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Dr. Peter Piot, vice chair of the GHIT Fund, said: “Our third five-year plan, GHIT 3.0, envisions the development of an environment for access and delivery based on strategic partnerships to deliver drugs, vaccines and diagnostics to the field more quickly.
“Strengthening our partnership with IPD, with strong expertise and a proven track record in infectious disease research, will also play an important role in supporting local manufacturing capacity.
“This partnership is a testament to GHIT’s commitment to addressing global health challenges with a focus on inclusivity and sustainability through strategic partnerships with institutions in LICs and LMICs.”
