EU and Africa step up research cooperation to combat coronavirus outbreak | European Commission
The European Union is stepping up its research and innovation cooperation with Africa in order to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is launching calls for expressions of interest to support research on the coronavirus and strengthen research capacities in sub-Saharan Africa. Three calls in total will be funded with up to €28 million from Horizon 2020, the EU research and innovation programme.
The first call, with a budget of €2.25 million from Horizon 2020, with additional €1.5 million from Sweden and €1.0 from France has been launched on 3 April. It will fund research into coronavirus pandemic preparedness in sub-Saharan Africa, to develop point-of-care diagnostics and validate existing tests. They will also support clinical management by running controlled trials for diagnostics and therapeutics of promising agents.
