AHRI-IVI Collaborating Center

IVI and the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) in Ethiopia have a longstanding partnership in vaccine development and infectious disease research. Learn more about IVI programs in Ethiopia.

In July 2021, AHRI and IVI signed an memorandum of understanding, and in May 2022, they launched the AHRI-IVI Collaborating Center.

AHRI-IVI

Activities include:

  • Development and implementation of collaborative projects such as clinical trials, vaccine research and development, the IVI International Vaccinology Course, technology transfers, disease burden studies, vaccine introduction, and policy engagement
  • Development and submission of joint proposals for research and/or capacity building
  • Seconding or exchange of staff members between AHRI and IVI
  • Exchange of academic, education, scientific, and scholarly materials

Collaborative programs

The AHRI-IVI Collaborating Center hosts the Ethiopia Cholera Control and Prevention (ECCP) project. The project provided free cholera vaccination for 100,000 residents in areas at risk of cholera and established a disease monitoring system to strengthen local public health capabilities in Ethiopia. It uses the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) developed by IVI and produced by the Korean vaccine manufacturer EuBiologics.

ECCP will also evaluate the effectiveness and impact of OCV after vaccination and collect epidemiological data of cholera and other diarrhea diseases by conducting follow-up monitoring for several years. This will contribute to the Ethiopian government’s efforts to establish policies for combating waterborne diseases such as cholera.

Globally, ECCP seeks to build a model for the Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030 initiative in cholera-endemic countries.

ECCP is funded by LG Electronics, the Korea Support Committee for IVI, and other donors and led by IVI in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, and AHRI. The project was also funded by Rotary International District 3640, Kim & Chang, Korean Association of Otorhinolaryngologists, Korea Pediatric Association, Pfizer Korea, Sky72 Golf Club, EuBiologics, Sartorius Korea, Raphas, Coreana Cosmetics, and countless individual donors in Korea.

Contact information

Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI)
Jimma Road, ALERT Compound, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
P.O. Box: 1005
Tel: +251 113 483752 | Fax: +251 113 211563