32 new African Centres of Excellence named
African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Network holds 4th annual conference
Thirty-two African research institutions have been recognized as Centres of Excellence in health innovation by the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Network (ANDI). The announcement was made at the fourth annual ANDI conference, held 24-27 October in the new hosting city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where ANDI is based at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
The ANDI centres of excellence are spread across the five sub-regions of Africa and are conducting research and development, and innovation activities on drugs, diagnostics, vaccines, medical devices and traditional medicines. They will implement ANDI projects and build research capacity on the continent.
"This is the beginning of a process that we hope will encourage African governments to invest in their institutions and scientists to become world class facilities in order to advance health innovation in Africa," remarked Dr Solomon Nwaka, ANDI acting Director. He stated that the main challenge facing ANDI is that of financial and human resources to implement the ambitious agenda, and expressed the hope that donors and governments will support ANDI.
The Centres of Excellence form a vital African network that will link and increase R&D and manufacturing done by African institutions. The Centres will have opportunities for funding and partnering, through ANDI and other funding agencies.
The ANDI Centres of Excellence are:
African Institute of Biomedical Science & Technologies
ANDI Centre of Excellence in In-silico Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology Studies
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Nanomedicine Research
Institut Pasteur de Tunis
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Bio-molecule Discovery
Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Traditional Medicine Research
Institute of Primate Research
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Pre-clinical Research
iThemba LABS
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Radiochemistry
iThemba Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry
Joint Clinical Research Centre
ANDI Centre of Excellence in HIV/TB Clinical Research
Kenya Medical Research Institute
ANDI Centre of Excellence in HIV Operational Research
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology - Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Applied Biomedical Research
Makerere University
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
National Center for Research
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Drug & Diagnostic Innovation
National Institute for Pharmaceutical R&D
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Disease Surveillance and Prevention
South African Medical Research Council
ANDI Centre of Excellence for IP management in health
Theodor Bilharz Research Institute
ANDI Centre of Excellence on Anti-trematodal R&D
Trypanosomiasis Research Centre
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Pre-Clinical Development
University of Bamako
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Clinical Development of Malaria Products
University of Buea
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research
University of Cape Town
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery
University of Cape Town
ANDI Centre of Excellence for TB Diagnostics Research
University of Cape Town - Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Proteomics and Genomics
University of Ibadan
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Malaria Translational Research
University of Lagos
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Malaria Diagnosis
University of Mauritius
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Biomedical and Biomolecular Research
University of Stellenbosch
ANDI Centre of Excellence for TB Translational Research
University of Stellenbosch
ANDI Centre of Excellence for HIV Translational Research
University of the Witwatersrand
ANDI Centre of Excellence for Viral Gene Therapy
University of the Witwatersrand
ANDI Centre of Excellence in Drug Delivery Technology
University of Zambia
ANDI Centre of Excellence for HIV/TB Diagnostics Technologies
VACSERA ANDI Centre of Excellence in Anti-venom Research
VACSERA ANDI Centre of Excellence in Virus strains diagnosis
ANDI was initiated at TDR in 2008 in order to increase African-led health innovation, and has been hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, since 2011. Its establishment has been supported by a grant from the European Union.
For more information contact Dr Solomon Nwaka or George Davis.