The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has partnered with the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Wellcome on a new funding initiative.
The initiative will support high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for infectious diseases in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, focusing on diseases with significant impact on morbidity and mortality. These include mycobacterial infections, bacterial infections, invasive fungal infections and dengue, leishmaniasis or schistosomiasis.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: “This joint initiative represents a powerful commitment to strengthening global health security.
“By investing in high quality, locally led clinical trials, we are enabling researchers in Africa, South Asia and South East Asia to generate the evidence needed to inform policy, improve care, and accelerate the uptake of effective vaccines and treatments.”
These organisations aim to strengthen global health security by tackling urgent infectious disease threats, including infectious disease outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Professor Charlotte Watts, Executive Director of Solutions at Wellcome, said: “We are coming together to support researchers across Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia to lead clinical trials on existing vaccines and therapeutics. This ensures that the people closest to the challenges are the ones driving the solutions.
“Together, we are investing in the actionable, locally led evidence required to transform health guidelines, ensure interventions reach the most affected communities, and ultimately improve global health outcomes.”
Researchers can apply for the Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development award.
Florian von Groote, Head of Clinical Research at Wellcome, said: “Results from controlled trial conditions don’t always translate into real-world impact and evidence is strongest when generated locally.
“This funding call will support researchers in Africa, South Asia and South East Asia to lead clinical trials that generate evidence to inform policy and guideline change – improving outcomes for people most affected by infectious diseases.”