A new multicountry initiative has been launched in Kigali to accelerate the development of a vaccine against chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease often mistaken for malaria due to its similar symptoms. Health experts describe chikungunya as a growing public health threat. From June 8 to 10, experts from Africa and other parts of the world have gathered at the University of Rwanda headquarters for the launch of the Accelerating Clinical Trials for Chikungunya Vaccine (ACT-CHIK) Project. The four-year initiative is expected to support clinical trials in Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal for chikungunya vaccine to contribute to global health outcomes. Other partners in this initiative include Brazil through its institution FIOCRUZ and South Korea through international vaccine institute for vaccination manufacturing and project sponsor respectively. The project has received €15.3 million from the Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (EDCTP3) Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. Prof. Léon Mutesa, Director of the Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Rwanda, said the ACT-CHIK consortium brings together researchers and institutions from Africa, Europe, South America and Asia to accelerate vaccine development and strengthen clinical trial capacity on the continent. He said chikungunya is often misdiagnosed because its symptoms, including fever, headache, joint pain and stiffness, are similar to those of malaria, dengue and Zika. “Many cases may go undetected because health workers are dealing with diseases that present similar symptoms,” he said. Prof. Mutesa highlighted a 2024 Rwanda study which found that about 69 per cent of sampled individuals were seropositive for chikungunya, indicating previous exposure to the virus. He noted that seropositivity does not necessarily mean illness, as infections can occur without symptoms. The project builds on earlier studies by Institut Pasteur on a chikungunya vaccine candidate based on a measles-virus platform (MV-CHIK vaccine). Over the next four years, researchers will conduct Phase Ib/III clinical trials (early safety and large-scale effectiveness studies) involving adults, adolescents and children in Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. Prof. Mutesa said Rwanda was selected to lead the consortium’s work package five “Scientific Leardership” after successfully competing for the role, underscoring the country’s growing investment in research and vaccine manufacturing. Rwanda has shown a strong commitment to developing vaccine manufacturing capacity and supporting scientific research. That is one of the reasons the University of Rwanda was selected to lead the scientific component of the project,” he said. Dr. Menelas Nkeshimana, Head of Health Workforce Department at the Ministry of Health, said Rwanda has the systems and expertise needed to participate in vaccine research and clinical trials on the continent. “One of the factors that attracts investment in this field is Rwanda’s strong regulatory framework. We have institutions with the integrity, transparency and scientific rigor required for vaccine development,” he said. Dr. Nkeshimana pointed out that Rwandan researchers are increasingly involved in studies developing new vaccines and treatments. “We once thought we did not have chikungunya in the country, but research, especially in Eastern Province, has shown that some people were infected without being diagnosed,” he said. Nkeshimana urged anyone feeling unwell to seek medical care, saying proper testing helps identify the cause of illness and guide treatment. He added that even before a vaccine becomes available, early detection can improve patient care and help monitor complications. Dr. Sotiris Missailidis, Head of Vaccine Innovation Development at the Institut Pasteur in France, said the project aims to deliver the first chikungunya vaccine suitable for children and adapted for African populations. While two chikungunya vaccines already exist, he indicated, they mainly target travellers and are not produced in Africa. Dr. Missailidis said the project will support late-stage clinical trials, strengthen local manufacturing capacity, and build expertise to advance future vaccine development, pandemic preparedness, and regional production. Prof. Anh Wartel, Deputy Director General and Regional Director of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Europe Regional Office, said that the project includes technology transfer from Institut Pasteur de Paris to Institut Pasteur de Dakar to support vaccine production in Africa. She observed that earlier trials in Europe, Puerto Rico and the United States showed the vaccine to be safe and capable of generating an immune response. Dr. Françoise Kayitare Tengera, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Finance at University of Rwanda, said the ACT-CHIK project aligns with Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and Africa’s broader efforts to strengthen health research, regulation and production systems. Through UR’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, the university pledged support for the project’s implementation in Rwanda. She said the initiative is expected to leave a lasting legacy by training African scientists, clinical researchers, regulatory experts and public health professionals beyond the project’s four-year duration.
