Investigators' Meeting

The investigators' meetings are part of the South - South Networking activities of European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). The goal of the meetings is to establish a South-South network of researchers and institutions for coordinating and synergizing activities related to clinical trials on the three major poverty-related diseases of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa through the EDCTP platform.

Although the European stakeholders in EDCTP, scientists, institutes and funding agencies, have ample opportunities to meet and collaborate, this is much less so for their African counterparts. Therefore, EDCTP aims to promote interactions among African health research institutions including their European counterparts. Thus, coordination and strengthening of research within Africa is an essential part of EDCTP's mission.

EDCTP will organize an investigators' meeting annually. These will be held at any chosen venue in Africa. Participation at the meetings is limited to Principal and other African Investigators, EDCTP fellows, members of the EDCTP Developing Countries Co-ordination Committee (DCCC), members of the EDCTP Partnership Board, EDCTP secretariat staff, representatives of the European National Programme Officers, members from New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), and representatives of regulatory authorities or ethical committees from selected African countries.

1st Investigators Meeting - 24-25 July 2006, Cape Town, South Africa

The first EDCTP Investigators Meeting took place at the Medical Research Centre (MRC) in Cape Town on 24 - 25 July 2006. The goal was to establish south-south networks, coordination and synergy among researchers. There were 88 participants: 43 African scientists, 9 collaborators from research institutions in the north, 13 invited guests, 15 members of EDCTP constituencies and 8 members of the EDCTP secretariat. The meeting concluded with recommendations to extend funding for promising senior fellowship projects, reinforce capacity building (personnel, ethics and regulatory bodies), strengthen South – South and North – South networking, accredit sites conducting trials in Africa and foster collaboration with policy makers.