About the Project

Summary

Access to vaccines against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remains limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite a high disease burden. The European African Vaccine Initiative (EAVI) established a transcontinental partnership to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of preventive vaccines in affected populations. As a proof of concept, we assess a chikungunya (CHIKV) vaccine candidate in Kenya and Tanzania in both healthy adults and adults living with HIV.

Background

Chikungunya is an arboviral infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It causes acute fever and severe joint pain (arthralgia). In a subset of patients, joint symptoms can persist for months to years.
CHIKV is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia and the Americas, but sporadic outbreaks have also been documented in Europe
Although two vaccines against CHIKV were recently approved in Europe and the Americas, access in SSA is limited and robust data on performance in affected groups, including those with HIV are scarce.

Objectives

Clinical evaluation

Conduct a two-arm Phase IIIb trial in Kenya and Tanzania to assess safety and immunogenicity of CHIKV vaccine in health adults and adults living with HIV.

In-depth Immune profiling

Characterise vaccine induced responses using gold-standard immunological assays complemented by next generation approaches.

Integrate prevention and surveillance

Develop and validate improved diagnostics and establish a prospective serosurvey alongside coordinated vector surveillance.

Capacity building and technology transfer

Train clinical and laboratory personnel, strengthen and build strategic partnerships to support stakeholder and community engagement and eventual vaccine update.

Quick facts

Start/end dates: 01 May 2026 – 31. April 2031

Budget: €14 031 531,25 (Global Health EDCTP3 Funding: €13 695 935,00)

GA number: 101249075

Coordinator: Medical University Innsbruck (MedUni Innsbruck), Innsbruck, Austria

Countries: Austria, Kenya, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania

Expected impact

EAVI will deliver a beyond–state‑of‑the‑art roadmap for evaluating NTD vaccines in sub‑Saharan Africa, using a licensed CHIKV vaccine as proof of concept. The Phase IIIb trial, coupled with advanced immune and virological profiling, will generate high‑quality evidence in healthy adults and adults living with HIV, directly supporting equitable, evidence‑based policy and rollout. Aligned with EDCTP3 outcomes, the project integrates prevention, surveillance, and capacity building to accelerate future NTD vaccine development and access.