A message from Mr Abdoulie Barry, EDCTP Association’s Executive Director

19 December 2025
Mr Abdoulie Barry, Executive Director, EDCTP Association

Dear Colleagues, Partners and Friends,

As we prepare to enjoy the festive season and celebrate the end of 2025 with our loved ones, this is an opportune time to reflect on the year drawing to a close and to look ahead to the year to come.

This has been a significant and productive year for the EDCTP Association. We have made substantial progress toward ensuring the successful conclusion of all EDCTP2-funded projects in the coming year, while also laying a solid foundation for the future activities of the EDCTP Association, utilising the extensive experience and skills of the staff, and continuing to support the Association’s constituencies.

As we take stock of the cumulative achievements of the EDCTP2 programme, it is important to acknowledge and remember the founding members of EDCTP. While we are familiar with their motivations, it is worth reflecting on the vision and foresight that led to such a remarkable initiative. As with all impactful initiatives, EDCTP began with the commitment and initiative of individuals united by a common purpose. We remain deeply grateful to those who conceived and established this initiative, as well as to all our stakeholders who have contributed to the success of the EDCTP programmes. In particular, we express our special appreciation to the European Union for contributing over EUR 800 million in cash to the EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 programmes. Special thanks also go to our Participating States for their contributions of over EUR 1.2 billion in cash and in-kind support to the EDCTP programmes. As our former High Representative always says, “EDCTP is bigger than a programme; it is a movement.” He is indeed right, and to borrow from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, EDCTP’s impact and reach have grown like a bush fire in the harmattan.

EDCTP2 projects are continuing to deliver important and impactful results to reduce the individual, social and economic burden of poverty-related infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. Key highlights of 2025 include:

EDCTP project-related achievements:

  • The results from the ALIVE trial, led by the STOP Consortium, showed that a tablet combining albendazole and ivermectin is safe and more effective than albendazole alone in treating soil-transmitted helminths. These findings led to a positive scientific opinion from the EMA for the fixed-dose combination to treat the disease in adults, adolescents, and children aged 5 years or older.
  • The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium has announced that the first preschool-aged child has been treated with arpraziquantel, a new pediatric medication for schistosomiasis in Uganda as part of the ADOPT project, funded by EDCTP2 and led by the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium. After Uganda, the treatment will be introduced in other African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, and Senegal.
  • The CHAPAS-4 trial showed that new antiretroviral combinations, specifically tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) and dolutegravir (DTG), are superior to older second-line options such as abacavir (ABC) or zidovudine (ZDV) plus lamivudine (3TC).
  • Swissmedic has granted authorisation for Coartem® (artemether-lumefantrine) Baby, the first malaria treatment specifically for young infants weighing less than 5 kg. This milestone follows positive results from the CALINA study conducted by the EDCTP2-funded PAMAfrica consortium. The treatment has been approved in Ghana, making this antimalarial available for the first time.
  • Clinical studies under the PanACEA Consortium revealed two promising antibiotics, sutezolid and delpazolid, as potential safer alternatives to the drug linezolid for treating tuberculosis (TB). These findings, part of the EDCTP2-funded PanACEA Consortium, underscore the safety of these new treatments, particularly for patients requiring extended therapy.
  • European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (EMA COMP) granted orphan designation for the combination of alpibectir and ethionamide (AlpE) for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). This milestone reflects years of collaborative work under the bEto-TB consortium, funded by the EDCTP2 programme and led by the TASK Foundation, South Africa, with support from GSK and BioVersys SAS.
  • The TB-CAPT CORE study has found that implementing rapid molecular tuberculosis (TB) testing at primary health care clinics in sub-Saharan Africa is feasible and significantly shortens the time to treatment initiation. The study provides the strongest evidence to date that decentralising molecular diagnostics—bringing testing directly to where patients first seek care—can transform TB control efforts in high-burden regions.
  • The KALUMA phase III trial, coordinated by WANECAM-2, has demonstrated GanLum (KLU156, ganaplacide/lumefantrine or GanLum) as a safe and effective treatment for uncomplicated malaria—this represents the first potential advance in malaria treatment in 25 years.
  • Data from the MoxiMultiDoseMod study enabled submission to the US FDA, leading to label extension of moxidectin for children aged 4-11 (≥13 kg), and to the Ghana Food and Drug Authority, resulting in market authorisation—the first African approval of a new onchocerciasis treatment. This led to the addition of moxidectin to the WHO Essential Medicines List for Children (EMLc 2025) and for adults (EML 2025).

 

In 2025, the EDCTP Association welcomed Burundi as a new member, bringing the total number of participating African countries to 31.

Professor Marcel Tanner has concluded his nearly decade-long tenure as the High Representative of the EDCTP Association, marking the end of an extraordinary chapter in EDCTP’s history. His tenure has been characterised by visionary insights, tireless advocacy, and a steadfast commitment to advancing global health equity through collaborative partnerships.

The EDCTP Association concluded a contribution agreement with the European Commission Directorate for International Partnerships (INTPA) for the action Fighting antimicrobial resistance and strengthening the One Health workforce in Africa. This agreement will support Africa CDC and the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) in their efforts against the rising problem of AMR in Africa.

I will conclude by extending our sincere appreciation to all our stakeholders, especially our staff, constituency members, and Audit Committee members, for their unwavering commitment to the EDCTP programme. Your continued support has strengthened our mission and enhanced our impact. Thank you for your belief in the mission of EDCTP. I look forward to continuing this important journey with you in the year ahead. I wish you a joyful festive season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead.

Mr Abdoulie Barry
Executive Director, EDCTP Association