By: Telm Borras
EU-African Union Scientific Partnership allocates €63M to research projects
Testing the water availability from a newly constructed well in Kerkebet, Eritrea. - © European Communities, 2006
A call for proposals named the ’Africa Call’, to support research in Africa as well as steer improvements in the health field on the continent, was launched by the European Commission, 30 July. The €63M sum from the EC’s 7th Research Framework Programme, is earmarked for projects to improve water and food security in Africa and better health.Projects selected will involve African partners, in an aim to strengthen Africa’s own research base.
In the ‘Water and Food Security’ field, projects that strive to ensure both safe drinking water and good sanitation and hygiene, revitalise agriculture and promote more sustainable production systems will be considered for financing. It also includes projects that address Africa's vulnerability to the climate change impacts by setting up early warning and forecasting systems to address risks such as droughts or related diseases. The second batch of projects comes under ‘Better Health for Africa’. Projects here will focus on reducing the malaria disease burden, improving early diagnosis and treatment of the most frequent infection-related cancers and improving maternal and newborn health, among others.
This special initiative, funded by EC’s 7th Research Framework Programme, will address some of the science and technology objectives of the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership agreed on by the European Commission and the African Union Commission in 2007.
For those interested in finding out more, an Information Day has been organised in Brussels, 18 September.
EU Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potoènik who is due to visit several African countries in the autumn said: “The EU-Africa Strategic Partnership is harnessing the potential of science and technology to meet the water, food security and health challenges of Africa. It is getting researchers from Europe and Africa to work together in the true spirit of this Partnership; we are working not only for, but with Africa".
Further information:
Africa Call
Launch of the EU-Africa partnership for science (The Courier)
