The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) says it has committed up to 8.2 million dollars in additional funding to strengthen clinical trial readiness in West Africa.

CEPI said this in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from its website on Tuesday.

According to CEPI, the funding will support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)’s hub-and-spoke clinical trial model through the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and the Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia.

Announced at an event in Accra on Oct. 22, the initiative connects experienced clinical trial centres with sites closer to outbreak-prone areas.

The model aims to accelerate clinical evidence generation during epidemics and pandemics, beginning in West Africa before expanding to other African regions.

“Africa CDC’s hub-and-spoke model is designed to strengthen collaboration across clinical trial sites and ensure that research capacity built during routine periods can be rapidly activated during outbreaks,” CEPI said.

It added that improved coordination among sites across countries would support more efficient and standardised generation of clinical evidence when new disease threats emerged.

The model would also help distribute clinical research capacity more widely and embed it sustainably within national and regional systems, enabling faster mobilisation during outbreaks.

CEPI Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Hatchett, said strengthening clinical trial systems before outbreaks was essential to generating evidence promptly when new threats emerged.

“Strengthening clinical trial systems before outbreaks occur, in regions where they are more common, is critical if we are to generate evidence without delay when new threats emerge,” he said.

The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, said the model would enable African trial sites to remain prepared between emergencies.

“Health sovereignty means Africa generating its own evidence, on its own soil, for its own people,” Kaseya said.

He said Africa CDC would work with member states to expand the network beyond West Africa to other regions.

CEPI said the funding brought its total commitment to its Research Preparedness Programme to 28.8 million dollars.

According to the organisation, the programme supports clinical trial sites with infrastructure, trained personnel and systems to initiate research rapidly during outbreaks.

It forms part of CEPI’s contribution to the 100 Days Mission, which aims to develop safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat.

The Director-General of IVI, Dr Jerome Kim, said institutional ownership was essential to the model’s success.

“IVI is committed to supporting this initiative as part of our mission to strengthen equitable and sustainable vaccine research capacity and, as a strategic priority, help improve preparedness for future outbreaks,” he said.

Prof. Ed Clarke, Director of the MRC Unit, The Gambia, said sustained investment in research systems and partnerships was necessary before health emergencies.

“Effective preparedness depends on sustained investment in research systems, people and partnerships long before a health emergency occurs.

“With our experience implementing and supporting clinical trials in the region and through this collaboration with CEPI, IVI, Africa CDC and regional partners, we are helping to strengthen a connected network of clinical trial sites that can generate evidence rapidly.

“We are also building lasting research capacity across West Africa,” he said.

CEPI said the programme’s clinical research capabilities would support vaccine, diagnostic and therapeutic studies, with open-access principles guiding the use of research data and results.(NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru