Consortium Coordination

Key Results & Achievements

Overall management & Reporting

Following the award of the grant in June 2016, and consultations over the summer, the ZikaPLAN Grant Agreement, 734584, is ongoing since October 1, 2016. The first periodic report was submitted to the European Commission in early June 2018 and the second one in mid-December 2019. Both the reports were evaluated successfully.

ZikaPLAN held its project kick-off meeting in Recife, Brazil from October 19-21, 2016 at University of Pernambuco. In August 2017, the first Consortium Meeting and General Assembly was held in Havana, Cuba hosted by the Institute Pedro Kouri. During this meeting, members of ZikaPLAN and ZIKAlliance worked closely on the joint work packages (WP11, 14, 15).

The mid-term project Consortium meeting was held in September 2018 hosted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Furthermore, the consortium gathered at Universidad del Valle (UVAL) in Cali, Colombia in Oct 2019 for a successful general assembly with many activities planned with student groups and local government receiving much media coverage.

Communication

In addition to actively working on and supporting its members in project implementation through the ZikaPLAN Project Guide, an article on ZikaPLAN design was published in Global Health Action by Prof. Annelies Wilder-Smith et al. (https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F16549716.2019.1666566)

Among other scientific contributions, a mid-term capacity building articlewas published: “ZikaPLAN: addressing the knowledge gaps and working towards a research preparedness network in the Americas” (Wilder-Smith A, et al.)

ZikaPLAN has also received excellent visibility by being featured as an outstanding example of international research collaboration in the video released by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission.

ZikaPLAN Meetings

• The project kick-off meeting was held in Recife, Brazil from October 19-21, 2016 at University of Pernambuco. Around 70 participants, including the representatives from all the beneficiaries of the consortium, attended the meeting. This was the first formal gathering of all partners from all institutions to plan work for the first period.
• In August 2017, the first Consortium Meeting and General Assembly was held in Havana, Cuba hosted by the Institute Pedro Kouri. During this meeting, members of ZikaPLAN and ZIKAlliance worked closely on the joint work packages (WP11, 14, 15). The members of the two NEURO-ZIKA groups: Neurological Manifestations of Zika and Pathogenesis, developed and hosted a workshop for local neurologists, which will be made available as a training module on the REDe website.
• In October 2017, the first Joint Executive Committee meeting of the three Zika Consortia (ZikaPLAN, ZIKAlliance and ZIKAction) was held in Antwerp during the European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH). The Joint Scientific Advisory Board members and Ethics Advisory Committee members of the three consortia participated in person or via teleconference to discuss the ongoing projects.
• The coordinating office at the Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, carries out all the administrative and management procedures for the above activities.

In addition to actively working on and supporting its members in the project implementation through the ZikaPLAN Project Guide, an article on ZikaPLAN design has been published in Global Health Action by Prof. Annelies Wilder-Smith et al.

Participating Organisations

Group leader: Prof. Annelies Wilder-Smith, Umeå University

• University of Oxford

ZikaPLAN Structure