AVAREF Ecosystem Survey

An annual continent-wide evidence-building initiative designed to map and track the state of clinical trial oversight across Africa. Each year, the survey captures how National Regulatory Authorities and Ethics Committees operate, including their review timelines, staffing, digital systems, and emergency preparedness and providing a regularly updated baseline to measure progress and guide AVAREF's Strategic Roadmap 2025–2035.

4 Feature cards:

• Review TimelinesTrack year-on-year changes in CTA processing
• Regulatory CapacityMonitor staffing and institutional readiness over time
• Digital SystemsMeasure progress in digital readiness and infrastructure
• PreparednessAssess and compare emergency response capacity annually

Strengthening Africa’s Vaccine Research Landscape

AVAREF leverages its established network of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and National Ethics Committees (NECs) to create an integrated platform for research and development, clinical research centres, health product manufacturers, and networks for product safety and effectiveness.

This initiative aims to:

• Foster collaboration between regulators, ethics committees, researchers, and manufacturers.
• Provide fora for dialogue, networking, and growth in clinical trials through strengthening workforce, infrastructure, harmonization, and excellence.
• Support pandemic and epidemic preparedness.

Connecting Researchers for Innovation in Africa

Research and Development (R&D) is the gateway to innovation, and clinical trials are a key indicator of scientific advancement. Recognizing this, AVAREF is building a Research and Development Network to connect African researchers, innovators, and clinical trial centers working on new medicines and vaccines for the continent.

Key objectives:

• Create a collaborative network for researchers involved in medical product innovation.
• Define a strategy for R&D prioritization focusing on Africa’s health needs.
• Strengthen connections between R&D institutions, clinical researchers, and trial sites.

The R&D Network will ensure that scientific innovation aligns with public health priorities and accelerates access to locally relevant solutions.

Building World-Class Clinical Trial Sites in Africa

A robust clinical trial ecosystem requires access to high-quality, well-equipped trial sites. Using the WHO Clinical Trial Maturity Framework, AVAREF supports the development of a network of clinical trial units across the continent.

Key features:

• Identification and support of high-performing trial sites, particularly within teaching hospitals, university medical centers, and research institutions.
• Promotion of international standards for site readiness, quality assurance, and data integrity.
• Facilitation of collaboration among clinical investigators, regulators, and ethics committees.

By connecting clinical trial units across the region, AVAREF will help create a continent-wide infrastructure capable of conducting complex, multi-country clinical studies to global standards — supporting the goal of Africa contributing 10% of global clinical trials by 2035.

African Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (AACVS)

AVAREF provides coordination and technical support to the African Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (AACVS), which plays a crucial role in post-market surveillance and vaccine safety signal detection across the region.

This collaboration enhances pharmacovigilance systems, strengthens vaccine confidence, and contributes to the overall safety monitoring framework for immunization programs in Africa.