TWENDE consortium will officially launch TWENDE project with the theme, Accelerating translation of health research innovation into policy and practice, on July 1st 2016 at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania. The Secretary General of East African Community will preside over the launch as the Guest of honour. TWENDE is Tuberculosis (TB): Working to Empower Nations’ Diagnostic Effort and enshrines the Swahili word, ‘twende’, which means let us go together. Working closely with the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC), the TWENDE vision is predicated on the philosophy of the East African Community of working together to foster development and better service delivery across the region. The consortium brings together six leading East African institutions (Makerere University, NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, CPAR Uganda Ltd, East African Health Research Commission) in partnership with the University of St. Andrews, UK.

Focusing on TB diagnostics as a model, TWENDE aims to build a platform to accelerate the translation of research findings into more effective policy and practice. TWENDE will achieve this through strengthening inter-institution collaboration and building extended working partnerships with policymakers and implementators in East Africa. The launch in Arusha marks the beginning of the East Africa wide journey of exploring, listening and engaging with stakeholders on how best to increase the accessibility of TB diagnostic innovations by those who most need them.