MARCAD Plus selected for DELTAS Africa II program implemented by The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA)

Malaria and NTDs Research Capacity Development (MARCAD Plus) in West and Central Africa is among the 14 consortia selected for the second phase of The Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training, and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) programme. The DELTAS Africa II launch ceremony was held on March 14th, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The DELTAS Africa II launch was attended by Funding partners, policymakers, and scientists from Africa. The event organised by the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) was followed by a three-day inception meeting, held from the 15^th to the 17^th in Nairobi.

"This second phase of DELTAS Africa is an opportunity for African researchers to reaffirm their commitment to science that produces quality results for their countries.  This is also an opportunity to agree that it is important to strengthen the training of young scientists to have researchers who will be able to meet the challenges in the field of Health," said Professor Oumar Gaye, Director of MARCAD-Plus.

The MARCAD Plus programme has, among other objectives, the elimination of malaria and certain neglected tropical diseases such as Schistosomiasis and Soil Helminthiasis through the training of future African scientific leaders.

According to Dr Alphonsus Neba, Deputy Director of programmes at the Science for Africa Foundation and programme manager of Deltas Africa, the DELTAS Africa II funding will allow the consortia to train scientists and conduct research in the health field.

Dr Alphonsus Neba also indicated that "Deltas Africa II" intends to continue the work done in Phase I.

The Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training, and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) is a long-term, multimillion-dollar programme launched in 2015-2022 to support collaborative consortia led by Africa-based scientists to amplify Africa-led development of world-class research and scientific leaders on the Continent while strengthening African research institutions.