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The University of Rwanda (UR), has launched a four-year international research project aimed at developing a vaccine against Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease often mistaken for malaria.
The initiative, named ACT-CHIK, brings together seven global institutions. UR will lead research activities in Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, and Nigeria, focusing on vaccine development and clinical studies.
Chikungunya is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and causes high fever, severe joint pain, and fatigue. Although widespread in tropical regions, it is frequently misdiagnosed as malaria, and no specific treatment or vaccine currently exists.
The €15.3 million project is funded by the European Union European Union and coordinated by the Institut Pasteur Institut Pasteur. Vaccine trials will be overseen by the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) International Vaccine Institute.
Other partners include Institut Pasteur de Dakar Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Fiocruz Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Kenya Medical Research Institute, and Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.
UR was selected to lead the African research arm after outperforming competing universities across the continent.
ACT-CHIK project lead at UR, Prof. Léon Mutesa, said the collaboration will advance all stages of vaccine development, including immune response studies. He noted that initial vaccine design work has already been completed by Institut Pasteur.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Health Ministry of Health Rwanda said the project highlights the country’s growing capacity to host global health research and could pave the way for future vaccine and pharmaceutical development.
Experts say Chikungunya is underdiagnosed due to its similarity to malaria, despite infecting an estimated 35 million people globally each year, mainly in Asia and South America.
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