The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), headquartered in Japan, and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) in Africa, have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining their collaborative efforts to advance research and development in the field of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

GHIT Fund aims to accelerate the development of medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics to combat infectious diseases. IPD, a Senegalese non-profit foundation, focuses on advancing healthcare access in Africa through innovative biomedical research, manufacturing essential vaccines and diagnostics, and engaging in public health activities including in surveillance and diagnostics through its Syndromic Sentinel Surveillance in Senegal (4S Network), supporting over 22 African countries in epidemic outbreaks detection and management. 

Building on their respective expertise and resources, GHIT Fund and IPD will collaborate to foster the development of cutting-edge solutions to combat infectious diseases in Africa and beyond.

Through this new partnership, the two institutions will accelerate product development for neglected diseases in LMICs in the areas of therapeutics, vaccine and diagnostic research and development and strengthen collaboration to support low-cost vaccine and diagnostics manufacturing in LMICs through technology transfer and know-how sharing from/with Japanese pharmaceutical companies and academia. This will not only improve access to essential health technologies, but also contribute to the development of a sustainable local health infrastructure.