From 21-25 April 2008, EDCTP made a combined visit to some of the EDCTP supported institutions in Kenya and Uganda. EDCTP conducts site visits in Africa for three main objectives: advocacy, data collection and technical assessment on finance and capacity building. The EDCTP team consisted of Simon Belcher (Director of Finance and Administration), Dr Michael Makanga (Capacity Development Manager) and Professor Walter Jaoko (DCCC member from Kenya). The team had meetings with the scientists and management of the following institutions:

International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) - Mombasa
ICRH is involved in an EDCTP supported project that prepares research institutes in Mombasa and in Kigali, Rwanda for phase III microbicide trials, a trial on the impact of HAART treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding on mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, and a project on ICH-GCP capacity building for MTCT trials.

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) – Wellcome Trust Collaborative Centre, Kilifi
The KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Centre is one of the research centres involved in the East African Clinical Trial Partnership (EACTP): a capacity building network of excellence and training for the conduct of clinical trials in Africa. At the institute, several EDCTP supported research projects are being conducted, including projects on antimalarial piperaquine resistance, antimalarial Lumefantrine resistance, on and intravenous artesunate treatment for severe malaria in children.

Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe
The Uganda Virus Institute (UVRI) Research Unit on AIDS together with the UVRI/International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) HIV vaccine programme are involved in EDCTP supported projects on capacity building for HIV vaccine trials and a project on finding HIV-induced response that control viral replication. UVRI is also involved in the East African Clinical Trial Partnership (EACTP).

The EDCTP team had separate meetings with the following persons among others: Dr  Anderson Kahindi, Provincial Medical Officer for Coast Province; Dr J Othigo, Provincial Obstetrician and Gynaecologist for Coast Province, Dr Marcel ICRH Country Director; Dr Kishor Mandaliya, Chief Provicial Pathologist; Mr. Nzioki Kingola, ICRH Project Manager and deputy Director; Dr Nobert Peshu Director of KEMRI / Wellcome Trust Research Program (Centre for Geographic Medicine Research - Coast); Professor Kevin Marsh, Scientific Director of KEMRI / Wellcome Trust Research Program; Dr Trudie Lang, Head of the Kilifi Clinical Trial Facility, Dr Leslie Nielsen, IAVI Country Director in Uganda and Professor Edward Katongole Mbidde, Director UVRI.