The Tenth EDCTP Forum biannually provides an international platform for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge research addressing the burden of poverty-related infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.
This year’s forum is hosted by the National Institute of Health (INS), Mozambique and the Health Research Centre of Manhiça (CISM). It is taking place in hybrid format, both virtually and in-person, at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre (JICC) in Maputo, from 17 to 21 October 2021.
Participants working in global health research from around the world are invited to join in a variety of Forum activities grounded in a compelling scientific agenda. Three posters present the latest results from two EDCTP-funded projects coordinated by EVI: ShigOraVax, dedicated to the clinical development of a Shigella vaccine and PREV_PKDL, which aims to advance a vaccine for the prevention of post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).
For the ShigOraVax project, epidemiological baseline studies taking place at Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé (GRAS, Burkina Faso) and Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ, Zambia) will be presented, respectively:
Prevalence and diversity of entero-pathogenic bacteria in children under five in a community setting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Clinical Presentations of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Shigella in children under 5 presenting with moderate to severe diarrhoea at health facilities in Zambia
The results of these studies will support the design of future efficacy trials for Shigella vaccine candidates.
The poster presentation Standardisation of flow cytometers (CytoFLEX LX) for a multi-centre Leishmania research study in Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia is under the scope of the PREV_PKDL project.
These immunological research studies in different endemic countries aimat better understanding the pathogenesis of the PKDL disease and the underlying immune mechanisms.
Flow cytometry is a powerful tool for interrogating immune response status, indispensable for quantifying immune responses and monitoring changes in immune status. Particularly for multicentre studies, flow cytometry brings challenges, including access to expertise, equipment support, protocol harmonisation / standardisation and data management. The project has created a network of Flow Cytometry Centres across the research sites, linked in real time to a support centre based at University of York, UK, to support the PREV_PKDL research studies as well future research activities.
“Infectious diseases take the lives of 3.5 million people each year, primarily the poor and young children in low- and middle-income nations. This can be changed through research, allowing many more people to enjoy better health” (Global Report for Research on Infectious Diseases of Poverty, WHO).
We are glad to participate in this year’s forum, focused on “Equity in research for health”. We hope through these EVI-led projects, ShigOraVax and PREV_PKDL, we continue contributing fighting diseases of poverty and building capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
For more information, visit the Tenth EDCTP Forum website.