A Global Alliance for Zika Virus Control and Prevention
The three‐year multidisciplinary ZIKAlliance project links large observational multicentre cohort studies with basic scientific research to focus on the following four key objectives:
- Objective 1: impact of Zika virus infection during pregnancy and short and medium term effects on newborns;
- Objective 2: natural history of Zika virus infection in humans and their environment in the context of other circulating arboviruses;
- Objective 3: improving scientific knowledge about the virus, the mechanisms of infection and the immune response; evaluating diagnostic methods; identifying small molecules with antiviral potential;
- Objective 4: building the overall capacity for preparedness research for future epidemic threats in Latin America and the Caribbean.
To meet its four key objectives, the scientific project has been organised in 13 Work Packages, with:
- WP1/2 dedicated to clinical research;
- WP3/4 to basic research;
- WP5/6 to environmental research;
- WP7/8 to social sciences and communication;
- WP9 to management;
- three additional packages created for organising collaboration with the consortia ZikaPlan and ZIKAction. They relate to harmonisation of protocols and data sharing (WP10), to common management and communication strategy (WP 11) and to the organisation of a common preparedness network (WP 12);
- A 13th Work Package one has been added on request by the EC in order to set out the “ethics requirements” the project must comply with.
