The ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases International Network

The International Network in brief

ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases (ANRS MIE) facilitates, supports and coordinates an International Network of key partners from France and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
This network consists of 9 partnerships, each bringing together research and health institutions and authorities based in France, West and Central Africa, South-East Asia and Brazil
These partnerships constitute true multi-stakeholder collaborative spaces that facilitate research project implementation and training to meet the needs of LMICs in the field of infectious diseases
Many research projects supported by ANRS MIE in the LMICs involve the partner institutions of the International Network

Objectives and actions

The general objective of the International Network is to use research to address global health challenges, particularly in the field of infectious diseases, through the synergy of researchers, health institutions and policy makers.

Objectives

Bring together research players in France and in the partner countries
Define a common scientific strategy and agenda taking into account the countries’ needs
Optimally mobilise technical, human and financial resources to serve research

Actions

Identify research priorities
Set up working groups and thematic networks
Jointly develop research projects and their implementation
Train research teams and support young researchers
Reinforce research infrastructures
Share knowledge and disseminate findings to improve public policies
Mobilise research teams in the event of an epidemic

The research process ranges from the design of projects centred around pre-identified research priorities to the dissemination of findings that feed into new public health policies.

Members of the ANRS MIE International Network

In the 1990s, in the context of the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, ANRS made its commitment to supporting the development of research in LMICs – particularly in West and Central Africa, South-East Asia and Brazil – by strengthening and structuring existing scientific collaborations between local and French teams through the formalisation of institutional partnerships.

Over the last 30 years, this commitment has led to the construction of a dense, diverse and evolving network, coordinated by ANRS MIE, bringing together partners from research and academic institutions (national public health institutions, methodology and management centres, research laboratories, universities, hospitals, backers), authorities (ministries, embassies) and local and French associations, which play a role throughout the research continuum in the context of infectious diseases.

Members of the ANRS MIE International Network (DRC: Democratic Republic of the Congo)

These players are brought together at Partner sites – with the first partnerships created in the 1990s or Platforms for International Global Health Research (PRISMEs) – developed from 2022 onwards.

Partners who are members of the International Network are encouraged to strengthen their mutual collaborations in order to conduct activities on a regional or international scale, in particular by setting up multi-country projects and developing training courses. They also interact with other local and international institutions, networks and alliances.

Key players

The partnerships are most often built around one or two key national structures that carry out the majority of the missions, with the help and support of local, French and foreign partners. These are often reference structures at the national level, such as:

The Methodology and Management Centres (MMCs)
Treatment centres
Research laboratories
National public health institutes
National programmes

In general, the country managers of the Partner sites or PRISMEs work at these structures.

In some partner countries, International Technical Experts (ITEs) mandated by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), and thanks to MEAE or ANRS MIE funding, are based alongside the Partner site or PRISME managers to provide their expertise and contribute to the activities of the partnership.

Why collaborate with the International Network, and how?

ANRS MIE may fund research in all LMICs if the foreign teams are associated with a French team to coordinate the project. Any player, whether or not from an International Network member country, may collaborate, provide or obtain support from the network from design to the implementation of research projects in the LMICs. While collaboration with the network is not mandatory in order to submit a research project to ANRS MIE, it is strongly encouraged.

Thanks to close collaboration with the authorities, the partnerships have a major advantage in identifying the priority needs of countries, guaranteeing their support in the implementation of projects and ensuring that the findings of research are taken into account, thus making a real impact on improving the health of populations.

Possible collaborations

Access to a network of health research stakeholders
Co-construction of projects in LMICs
Provision or receipt of support in the design, implementation and execution of a project
Training for young researchers and players in research and health
Sharing of expertise or research findings

In practice

Would you like to collaborate with our International Network and obtain more information?

Any questions? Do not hesitate to get in touch!

Role of ANRS MIE in the International Network

Support, coordination and facilitation

ANRS MIE coordinates and facilitates the network to promote collaboration and communication between partners. It actively participates in connecting all research and health players wishing to carry out actions with the network. ANRS MIE provides day-to-day support to each partnership and financial assistance in carrying out the various actions. This financial support complements the budgets allocated to the research projects selected as part of the calls for proposals. It may concern:

Staff to consolidate teams within research structures
Operations regarding training development, the conduct of missions, participation at conferences, organisation of thematic meetings, administrative expenses, structuring, and the organisation of research teams and institutions
Equipment to reinforce infrastructure

Collaboration with the major global health players

ANRS MIE is involved in numerous strategic and institutional partnerships with a variety of global health players (WHO, UNITAID, GloPID-R, etc.) which may also provide another form of support to partners in the International Network.