Stakeholders meet to kick off Rwanda’s Clinical Trial Capacity Strengthening Initiative

The University of Rwanda (UR) hosted a high-level stakeholders’ engagement meeting from May 7–9, 2025, marking the kick off the Clinical Trial Capacity Strengthening as core objective of the TEI MAV+ project —a key step toward reinforcing Rwanda’s readiness to conduct internationally recognized, ethical, and high-quality clinical trials.

The event was officially opened by Françoise Kayitare Tengera, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance at UR, who emphasized the University’s commitment to supporting Rwanda’s ambition to become a continental hub for biopharmaceutical innovation and vaccine manufacturing. “By building a strong foundation for clinical trial implementation, Rwanda is taking bold steps toward healthcare resilience and innovation,” she said.

The meeting brought together representatives from key national institutions, including the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Ministry of Health, and Rwanda FDA, as well as international partners such as the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Expertise France, Karolinska Institutet, Gothenburg University, CDT-Africa, and AHRI. Also in attendance were representatives from major clinical trial sites, including CHUB, Rwanda Military Referral and Teaching Hospital, and King Faisal Hospital.

The stakeholders worked collaboratively to develop a clear roadmap that will guide the implementation of clinical trial capacity-building activities under the MAV+ initiative. Discussions focused on aligning roles, securing technical support, and ensuring coordination for key activities such as gap analysis, infrastructure assessment, and quality management systems development and capacity building initiative.

This meeting sets the stage for sustained collaboration and capacity development aimed at strengthening Rwanda’s clinical research ecosystem in alignment with international standards.

Participants photo