The Executive Committee of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) has approved the establishment of three vaccine development research hubs for western, eastern and southern Africa.

The main purpose for the establishment of the hubs is to build capacity in the region for undertaking vaccine development research on a more sustained basis and within a permanent institutional framework through collaboration. Each hub will bring together researchers from  5-6 universities that will work closely together while reaching across to the other hubs for collaborative research and capacity building.

Hubs for ARUA Vaccine Research and Capacity Building

UG – University of Ghana HUB

UI – University of Ibadan

UNILAG – University of Lagos

OAU – Obafemi Awolowo University

UCAD – Université Cheikh Anta Diop

MU – Makerere University HUB

UN – University of Nairobi

AAU – Addis Ababa University

UDSM – University of Dar Es Salaam

UR – University of Rwanda

UCT – University of Cape Town HUB

UKZN – University of Kwa-Zulu Natal

RU – Rhodes University

SU – Stellenbosch University

UP – University of Pretoria

WITS – University of the Witwatersrand (alternate hub)

ARUA has received a first grant of $1 million from the Africa Regional Office of Open Society Foundations (OSF) towards setting up the eastern and western African hubs at Makerere University and University of Ghana. This is to be used largely for the purchase of equipment for the two Centres that will coordinate their programmes.