University of the Western Cape and Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp join forces to improve medicine and vaccine safety in South Africa

Advancing public health innovation through EU-South Africa partnerships

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium, are excited to announce the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Pharmacovigilance in Southern Africa (CEPSA). The Centre focuses on improving the safety of medicines and vaccines. Supported by a recent grant from the European Commission DG International Partnerships (INTPA, in close collaboration with DG Research (RDT), this initiative marks a big step forward in making medicines safer and more accessible across the region.

The Centre of Excellence, jointly led by UWC and ITM, aims to improve the way medicines and vaccines are developed, tested, and monitored for safety. By creating a supportive environment for research, regulation, and manufacturing, the Centre will help Southern Africa increase its capacity to produce vaccines and medicines locally. This not only improves access but also ensures medicines are safe for everyone.

How the Centre will make impact

1. Training experts: Developing skills and leadership in medicine safety to empower local health professionals and support a new generation of pharmacovigilance experts.
2. Researching safety: By supporting operational research in pharmacovigilance, the Centre will help generate and share locally relevant knowledge that can improve healthcare practices and outcomes.
3. Better communication: Sharing clear and timely information with the public and decision-makers about medicine and vaccine safety.

“By fostering collaboration between governments, academia, and the pharmaceutical industry, we aim to improve public trust and ensure access to high-quality, locally produced health products. At the same time, we are strengthening regional partnerships to boost Africa’s vaccine and medicine production. This aligns with the EU’s MAV+ initiative, which focuses on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa,” says Prof Raffaella Ravinetto from ITM.

Improving lives through safer medicines

“This Centre is an example of how international partnerships can help to solve global health challenges. By focusing on safety, innovation, and collaboration, UWC and ITM are helping to ensure that the people of Southern Africa have access to the medicines and vaccines they need, produced locally and trusted by communities,” says Dr Hazel Bradley  from UWC School of Public Health.

Introducing CEPSA

We have several opportunities to present the new Centre, these include at a Public Health Session on Monday 25 November hosted by UWC for the European Commission Director General Marc Lemaitre and at a hybrid AU-EU Public Health Innovations Workshop which will be held on Tuesday 3 December in Pretoria. 

Led by a strong partnership

CEPSA builds on over a decade of collaboration between ITM and UWC.  It also draws from the success of the Strengthening Pharmacovigilance and Regulatory Capacities in Southern Africa (SPaRCS) project. Funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2). SPaRCS demonstrated how local expertise could improve medicine safety in Southern Africa. Now, CEPSA will take this mission further, positioning South Africa as a leader in safeguarding the health of its citizens and supporting local pharmaceutical innovation.

UWC’s team includes Dr. Hazel Bradley, Prof. Renier Coetzee, Prof. Michelle Viljoen, and Prof. Star Khoza. ITM’s team is led by Prof. Raffaella Ravinetto and Dr. Carine Dochez, alongside pharmacovigilance experts.