EChiLiBRiST and ACROBAT-Newborns Consortia Gather in Maputo, Mozambique to Advance Research on Risk-Stratification of Patients with Fever

A Gathering of Global Expertise

The Joint General Assembly was held to address the progress and critical next steps in the combined efforts of the EChiLiBRiST and ACROBAT-Newborns projects to develop and validate a rapid test for the early recognition and improved management of febrile children and neonates at risk of severe diseases.

The 4-day joint assembly was organised by ISGlobal, the coordinating institution of the EChiLiBRiST and ACROBAT-Newborns consortia, and took place on 21^st to 24^th October in Maputo, Mozambique. It brought together international partners from institutions based in Mozambique, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon, Nigeria, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Canada, and the UK. A multidisciplinary group of over 40 participants were in attendance, including Principal Investigators and coordinators, pre-doctoral fellows, product development and industrial partners, as well as a diversity of experts in fields ranging from epidemiology to social sciences and health economics.

“The Joint General Assembly offered an exciting opportunity to gather both consortia in Mozambique for in-depth discussions on the scientific achievements and advances delivered up to now, to find collective solutions to the challenges encountered and the way forward for the clinical studies. Moreover, holding it in one of the African sites allowed the technological teams to see for the first time the real world where the developed technology will be deployed,” said Dr. Bàrbara Baro, co-principal investigator and project coordinator. “Thanks to the active involvement of all partners from both projects, the assembly produced substantial and impactful outcomes.”

Strengthening Synergies to Reduce Child Mortality: Joint Efforts Toward Better Child Health

The EChiLiBRiST project, a 5-year initiative funded by the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Program, aims to develop and validate a novel rapid test for the enhancement of triaging strategies for children presenting with fever. The Joint General Assembly focused on reviewing achievements and challenges as the project enters its third year. The principal objectives were to discuss the next steps for the analytical and clinical validations of the Point-of-Care (PoC) test, X-TREM which will be used in both projects. The consortium also discussed preparations for the imminent launch of the clinical trials in Harar (Ethiopia), Maputo (Mozambique) and Lambaréné (Gabon), building on the successful launch in Mopeia, Mozambique.

ACROBAT-Newborns, which began in January 2025, is a partner project to EChiLiBRiST funded by the European Union’s Global Health EDCTP3. It aims to further the development of the prognostic test, X-TREM, for the risk stratification of sick newborns. Following ACROBAT-Newborns’ online Kick-Off Meeting in March, the Maputo assembly provided an essential opportunity for an in-person collaboration to lay the groundwork for the clinical studies, X-TREM’s go-to-market strategy, and strengthen synergies between both projects.

Multidisciplinary Discussions on Research, Innovation, and Translational Strategies for Practical Health Solutions

Kicking off the assembly, the first day focused extensively on the PoC test, providing comprehensive updates on assay development, prototype industrialisation, and clinical validations. Key topics also included the results of the observational study on outcomes of febrile children attending health facilities in rural Mozambique and Gabon, and the implementation of Clinical Trial 1 (CT1) as part of the EChiLiBRiST project, alongside innovation, regulatory roadmaps, and the presentation of the ACROBAT-Newborns protocol and statistical analysis plan.

Sessions on the second day revolved around laboratory and analytical validation, as well as the ancillary studies for both projects, covering Social-Behaviour Sciences and Health Economics. In the afternoon, the partners visited the Hospital Central de Maputo, one of the sites for EChiLiBRiST’s Clinical Trial 2 (CT2), and the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), the institution in charge of the study implementation and recruitment there.

For the third day, the assembly was hosted at the Centro de Investigação de Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), the research centre coordinating both clinical trials in Mozambique, where the partners had the opportunity to visit the research facilities and the Hospital Distrital de Manhiça. The subsequent discussions focused on CT2, its implementation in Ethiopia and Mozambique, the statistical analysis plan, the associated laboratory work, and the monitoring for both EChiLiBRiST trials.

The closing day provided a platform for PhD and Master’s students involved in both projects to present their work and receive valuable feedback through a dynamic scientific brainstorming. The session included a discussion on capacity sharing plans, followed by an important review of project timelines.