EUROPEAN COMMISSION
MEMO
Brussels, 24 April 2013
Contribution of EU research to fight against Malaria
Why is the EU devoting resources to Malaria research?
Malaria is one of the world's most deadliest diseases, killing one person roughly every
minute. There are more than 200 million new cases every year, most of them in children
and pregnant women in developing countries. Under the Millennium Development Goals to
be achieved by 2015, the EU is committed to working with the global community to reduce
child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases. In recent years, progress has been made in malaria control as a result of
insecticide-treated bed nets and effective treatment. But the development of resistance to
insecticides and medicines as well as the poor quality of the health systems in many
affected countries pose threats to these achievements.
How much has the EU spent on Malaria research?
From 2002 to 2006, the EU funded 61 collaborative projects in malaria research for a total
amount of €116,2 million, including support to clinical trials provided through the
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). Since 2007, 67
new projects worth €142.3 million have been supported through the seventh research
framework programme (FP7). They cover all areas - from basic research, vaccines,
diagnostics and drugs to research on the mosquito vector and its control as well as
research capacity building and training researchers.
What are the main areas of research being funded?
EU research is aimed at improving the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of malaria by
supporting scientific collaboration between countries, sectors (public and private) and
disciplines. A specific effort has been made to include endemic countries as participants in
the projects. Support for research through the framework programmes has helped
structure European malaria research around a few key areas: fundamental research to
understand the disease, development of new malaria drugs, discovery of malaria vaccine,
implementation research and research to control the mosquito, in addition to the support
to clinical trials provided through the EDCTP.
MEMO/13/374
What successes has the research had?
As a result of the funding effort, the parasite, the vector, the host/pathogen interactions
and the disease are better known and new tools to fight the disease are being developed.
In the past two years, additional effort has been made to address implementation
research to evaluate best use of existing and new malaria control interventions in local
health systems, and in the development and best use of diagnostics. For instance, the
research project NANOMAL is developing a pioneering smartphone-like device that uses
cutting-edge nanotechnology to detect not only the malaria infection but also any drug
resistance from a pinprick of blood. If field trials later this year are successful the device
could be deployed in developing countries from 2015.
What is the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials
Partnership?
The European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) was created in
2003 as a European response to the global health crisis caused by the three main povertyrelated diseases of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Its mission is to accelerate the
development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials in subSaharan Africa. It currently unites 14 participating European Union (EU) Member States
plus Norway and Switzerland with sub-Saharan African countries. To date, EDCTP has
received €200 million in support from the European Union budget and a similar amount
from the 16 participating European countries.
What has the EDCTP achieved?
Since 2003, the EDCTP has dedicated €49.4 million to malaria research through 41 grants
for clinical trials and related capacity building activities. These grants allowed the launch of
32 clinical trials on improved treatments and new vaccine candidates, with 25 trials still
on-going. Many of these clinical trials help improve and adapt existing medical
interventions and drugs to specific, vulnerable target groups. For example, the Severe
Malaria in Children network (SMAC) showed that three doses over two days of the drug
artesunate are as effective as five doses over three days. This alternative regimen would
lower the risk of incomplete treatment by the improved efficiency and reduce the cost of
administering the treatment.
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Overview of EU research to combat Malaria in FP6 & FP7 (20022013)
Basic
research
FP6
(2002-2006)
FP7**
(2007-2013)
FP6+FP7
(2002-2013)
Diagnostic
Drugs
EDCTP*
Clinical
Trials
Implement.
research
Vaccine
Vector
control
Total
EU
contribution
(€million)
8,6
38,0
49,4
1,1
19,1
116,2
number of
grants
9
5
41
1
5
61
EU
contribution
(€million)
35,7
12,4
5,4
7,7
14,2
24,7
42,1
142,3
number of
grants
26
4
3
1
9
10
14
67
EU
contribution
(€million)
44,3
12,4
43,4
57,1
15,3
43,8
42,1
258,4
number of
grants
35
4
8
42
10
15
14
128
*EDCTP-Plus in FP7: Laying the foundations for the EDCTP-II programme (€7,7million are addressed not only to malaria but also
HIV/AIDS,Tuberculosis and neglected infectious diseases)
**FP7 Includes the malaria research funding from all the specific programmes
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