Advancing Research Capacity in West Africa
ARC-WA
Strengthening research preparedness in West Africa is critical to enabling timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics when they are most needed. By building sustainable clinical research capacity, countries can generate high-quality evidence faster and improve access to critical public health interventions.
Aligned with CEPI’s 100 Day Mission, the Advancing Research Capacity in West Africa (ARC-WA) initiative strengthens GCP-compliant clinical trial readiness during inter-epidemic periods and enable rapid activation for evidence generation during outbreaks.
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ARC-WA in Numbers
Since October 2023, the ARC-WA initiative has delivered tangible impact in clinical research readiness, expanding infrastructure, trained personnel, and extending access across large catchment populations in West Africa.
Functional Clinical Trial Units (CTU)
Established or Upgraded with Essential Infrastructure
Personnel Trained
Established or Upgraded with Essential Infrastructure
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Developed to Ensure GCP/GCLP Compliance
Satellite Sites Identified
Expanding the Clinical Research Network
Participant Enrolment Capacity
Per Day
Estimated Catchment Population
Across Five Research Sites
ARC-WA Tracks
ARC-WA operates across two complementary tracks to strengthen clinical research preparedness in West Africa, supporting both routine clinical development and rapid outbreak response.
Clinical Trial Capacity Development
Strengthening routine, GCP-compliant clinical research readiness for CEPI priority diseases, including Lassa fever in West Africa.
EXPLORE TRACK A
Emergency Evidence Generation
Enabling rapid, coordinated evidence generation during outbreaks by advancing preparedness concepts and strengthening coordination.
EXPLORE TRACK BTrial-Ready ARC-WA Sites
A network of trial-ready sites built through sustained capacity strengthening to deliver high-quality studies in West Africa.
KENEMA GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL (KGH)
FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER (FMC)
IRRUA SPECIALIST TEACHING HOSPITAL (ISTH)
ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (ATBUTH)
ALEX EKWUEME FEDERAL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL ABAKALIKI (AEFUTHA)
MOBILE CLINICAL TRIAL UNIT
Strengthening Infrastructure and Safety to
Enhance Infectious Disease Response at Kenema Government Hospital
Chae Yoon Kim
The rehabilitation of the Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) at Kenema Government Hospital has been successfully completed, marking a significant step in strengthening the hospital’s capacity to respond to infectious diseases.
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Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
CEPI is the primary funder for the ARC-WA initiative, supporting clinical research readiness for priority diseases like Lassa fever across West Africa.
Collaborating to advance research capacity in the region.
