HAT Platform

The HAT Platform - which was inaugurated in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005 - is a clinical research capacity strengthening network that brings together experts, clinicians, and researchers from trypanosomiasis endemic countries or from neighbouring countries, as well as international clinical trial and HAT specialists.

The overall aim of the HAT Platform is to build and strengthen treatment methodologies and clinical trial capacity in HAT-endemic countries, so that new and promising interventions for this fatal disease can be rapidly and effectively evaluated, registered, and made available to the patients. The primary goals of the HAT Platform are to develop appropriate clinical trial methodologies for HAT, to overcome system challenges related to administrative and regulatory requirements, to strengthen clinical trial capacity (human resources, infrastructure, and equipment), and to share information and strengthen communications between endemic countries. Activities include an annual meeting, training workshops, and a quarterly newsletter.

The core partners of the HAT Platform consist of the national control programmes of the major endemic countries (Angola, DRC, RoC, Sudan, and Uganda). Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) joined the platform in 2009. DNDi, in collaboration with STI, facilitates the platform both financially and through general administrative and logistical support provided by the STI-DNDi Africa office in Kinshasa. Other partners of the platform include national and international research organisations, NGOs (such as MSF, Epicentre), and representatives of health ministries and regulatory authorities of other African countries.