The Severe Neonatal Infection Adaptive Platform Trials in Africa (SNIP-AFRICA) project, implemented in Tanzania by the Ifakara Health Institute and partners, hosted its second in-person General Assembly meeting in Dar es Salaam from March 27-28, 2025. 

The event has brought together representatives from 12 partner institutions across Africa and Europe.

>> PRESS RELEASE: SNIP-AFRICA General Assembly held in Dar es Salaam from March 27-28, 2025

Delegates from esteemed organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Shionogi, and the African Neonatal Association, attended both in person and virtually.

Since 2023, IHI has been actively engaged in sepsis surveillance and stakeholder involvement at the St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital in Ifakara, Morogoro. Representing Ifakara are scientists involved in the project, including Dr. Getrud Mollel and Dr. Ezekiel Luoga, both of whom serve as Site Principal Investigators. More details available here: SNIP-AFRICA

Groundbreaking Neonatal Sepsis Trial Launches in Africa - NeoSep1 

As part of this project, NeoSep1 was launched, this is a trial comparing multiple antibiotic treatments to determine the most effective regimens for neonatal sepsis in two sites in South Africa before expanding to six additional locations in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. 

The study, sponsored by the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), is set to commence in April 2025 with findings from this trial to potentially influence the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on neonatal sepsis treatment.

Ifakara’s commitment to evidence-based solutions: Dr. Mollel opens 

Dr. Getrud Mollel, representing the Chief Executive Director (CED), officially opened the meeting as the host of the 2025 SNIP GA Assembly. On behalf of the CED, she emphasized IHI’s commitment to collaborating with national and international partners to develop evidence-based solutions for pressing health challenges. She highlighted that SNIP AFRICA specifically targets neonatal sepsis, a leading cause of neonatal mortality in Tanzania and many other sub-Saharan African countries.

Day One Highlights

Reflecting on the first day of proceedings, Dr. Ezekiel highlighted key milestones achieved across all work packages within the SNIP AFRICA platform, including neonatal sepsis surveillance and stakeholder engagement, where IHI actively participates. Additionally, critical capacity-building areas were identified and will be addressed in the coming days through the respective work package leads.

Final Day Takeaways

Dr. Getrud, reflecting on the final day of the meeting, underscored the importance of establishing Adaptive Platform Trials like SNIP AFRICA in Sub-Saharan Africa while strengthening both North-South and South-South collaborations. She emphasized the crucial role adaptive trial platforms play in advancing research by enabling more flexible and efficient study designs.

Dr. Getrud Mollel, representing the Chief Executive Director, officially opened the 2025 SNIP-AFRICA General Assembly. She highlighted Ifakara Health Institute’s commitment to developing evidence-based solutions for pressing health challenges, with a focus on combating neonatal sepsis— a major cause of neonatal mortality in Tanzania and across Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Ifakara is proud to have contributed to this critical dialogue and looks forward to building on the insights shared as we move into another year of the project's implementation—strengthening our efforts to combat neonatal infections and improve healthcare outcomes across Africa.