Ethiopia and Angola join the EDCTP Association
EDCTP is pleased to welcome Ethiopia and Angola as member countries of the EDCTP Association. The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health will be represented in the EDCTP General Assembly by Dr Taye Tolera Balcha (Director General, Armauer Hansen Research Institute) and Dr Tsigereda Kifle (deputy representative; Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute). The Angolan National Institute of Public Health will be represented by Dr Joana Filipa Machado de Morais Afonso (Director, National Institute of Public Health), and Dr Moisés Francisco (deputy representative; Director, Angolan Health Research Centre).
Dr Leonardo Simão, EDCTP High Representative South, commented on this development:
“The participation of Ethiopia and Angola in the EDCTP Association is a significant and welcome measure of their respective government’s commitment to developing health research capacity for the ultimate benefit of their people.
“Ethiopia is set to become one of the 10 most populous countries, with a large portion of the population burdened by poverty-related diseases. Despite these challenges, Ethiopia has a fast-growing economy, and has great responsibility as the diplomatic capital of Africa, being the host of the African Union, headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, among other international organisations.
“I am very pleased to welcome Angola to the EDCTP Association, as this presents an opportunity for research capacity strengthening in Lusophone Africa. Angola has made positive progress in improving health indicators, but recent outbreaks of yellow fever, water-borne diseases and malaria challenge this, and indicate that more support for health-care capacity-building is needed.
“EDCTP’s support of health research and related capacity-building activities will enhance the Ethiopian and Angolan governments’ commitment to improving the health of their people so that no one should be left behind.”
Ethiopia and Angola formally submitted expressions of interest in joining the EDCTP Association in August 2017, and both applications were unanimously approved by the Association members on 27 November 2017. Ethiopia has joined the Association as a full member, and Angola as an Aspirant member.
The EDCTP Association is the legal structure for the implementation of the second EDCTP programme (EDCTP2, 2014-2024). The Association is governed by its General Assembly, in which Members (Participating States), Aspirant Members and Observers are represented (see the Articles of Association for more information on full and aspirant membership). EDCTP2 is supported under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
The visits of EDCTP representatives to Angola and Ethiopia were reported in the EDCTP Newsletter, in the July and October issues respectively.