By Fara Ndiaye, Deputy Executive Director (Speak Up Africa), Dr George Githuka, Program Director (CHReaD), Prof Keitshepile Geoffrey Setswe, Managing Director: Implementation Research Division (Aurum Institute and SAHTAC), Caroline Mbindyo, Chief Innovations Officer (Amref Health Africa)
The global health community is facing significant cuts to critical global health research funding. Estimates show global health funding has dropped by $9-10 billion for the upcoming fiscal year alone, and $30-40 billion over the next 3 to 5 years. Dozens of health trials across Africa were forced to halt in late January after millions of dollars in USAID funding were cut, including groundbreaking US-funded trials that brought together African researchers from over seven countries to develop vaccines and highly preventive or management therapies for HIV, which were on the brink of a breakthrough.
Why does it Matter for Everyone ?
Gene sequencing research, for a start, can help us better understand how diseases affect Africans and the broader global population. This is because Africa, where humans originated, is the most genetically diverse continent in the world. Researching diverse African ethnic groups is crucial for understanding the varying risks of human diseases. Unfortunately, global health research is missing out on this tremendous opportunity, with less than 2% of human genomes analysed so far having been those of African people, and only 3% of clinical trials taking place in Africa.
Health research and development in Africa matters because it offers vast untapped opportunities to help secure health security on the continent, which carries 20% of the global disease burden, and for the world. A world in which infectious diseases like dengue, once thought to be a thing of the past for many non-tropical regions, are now on the rise.
Africa is home to a goldmine of untapped biodiversity for medicines. It has over 45,000 plant species – about 25% of the world’s plant genetic resources. Some are already being used in some of the most important cancer and pain management therapies. Africa’s existing expertise in infectious disease research, namely HIV and TB, proved to be instrumental in COVID-19 research, specifically, in identifying the COVID-19 beta variant, which carried mutations that increased transmissibility and potentially reduced vaccine efficacy. Therefore, with the next pandemic, an “epidemiological certainty” according to WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, our infectious disease research experience is increasingly valuable to the global community.
Africa’s research capacity is not just a regional priority. It is a global imperative. Health threats like pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and emerging vector-borne diseases do not respect borders. When Africa’s research capacity is underfunded, the world loses its first defence against future pandemics. COVID-19 has demonstrated that genomic surveillance and rapid response capabilities in Africa are crucial for prompt global action. Strengthening Africa’s research and innovation capacity is not an act of charity; it is a pragmatic investment in the health security of all nations.
How Africa is building its research and innovation capacity ?
Africa is building a robust regulatory framework to support its research and innovation capacity. The creation of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) and the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative aim to streamline regulatory processes, foster public-private partnerships, and accelerate equitable access to life-saving therapies.
The AMRH initiative is already assessing medicinal products using a rigorous pan-African procedure. It has also created a publicly accessible Green Book that provides information on medicines that have been scientifically evaluated and received a positive opinion for safety, efficacy, and quality at the continental level.
At the national level, eight African countries have reached maturity level 3 on the WHO (World Health Organisation) National Regulatory Authority benchmark, having been evaluated against more than 250 WHO standard indicators – proof of a well-functioning and integrated regulatory system. Many of these agencies have now agreed to streamline application submission and evaluation processes to expedite regulatory processes, reduce costs, and ensure timely decision-making.
Beyond regulatory reform, African-driven innovations are reshaping the global health landscape. Home-grown mRNA hubs in South Africa, clinical trial models adapted for local contexts, and successful local manufacturing initiatives, such as the Institut Pasteur de Dakar’s vaccine production facility, demonstrate Africa’s ability to lead. These examples highlight that Africa is a participant in global health R&D and an innovator driving breakthroughs that benefit the world.
All this is proof of Africa’s strengthening capacity to evaluate, approve, and regulate its medicinal products efficiently. This is in addition to the significant progress made towards local manufacturing of vaccines and other health products, through securing funding for manufacturers, improving regulatory instruments, and providing support to establish local markets.
The call to action
Recently, the Gavi Global Vaccine Summit sent a powerful signal: even in a time of constrained resources, the world can unite behind a bold vision for equity. With US$9 billion pledged toward Gavi’s 2026–2030 strategy, despite falling short of the US$11.9 billion goal, donors reaffirmed that investing in vaccines is a key investment in global stability. This show of political will must now be extended to closing the widening funding gap that threatens health research, especially in Africa, where the stakes for global health security are the highest.
We urge the global community to work more closely with African experts to better align the global health research and investment efforts with both African and global health research priorities. This would avoid duplication and the historical mismatch between global health research and local realities, which can be translated into tackling local needs and strengthening health systems. This alignment will positively impact development, as tackling these health issues will contribute to achieving SDG 3.
Secondly, we urge African governments to pursue strategic investments into Africa’s health research infrastructure and deliver on their commitment to allocate at least 15% of their annual budget to health in the Abuja Declaration. This should be directed towards the most pressing healthcare challenges on the continent, namely infectious disease research and pandemic preparedness, where the world can unlock the untapped opportunities from Africa’s wealth of experience in infectious disease research for the global good.
Now is the time to turn vision into action. We call on African leaders, regional institutions, the private sector, and global partners to co-create a bold, unified, and sustainably funded agenda for health research, development, and innovation in Africa.
Let us move beyond rhetoric to build an African-led R&D ecosystem, one that is anchored in local priorities, fosters regional manufacturing and regulatory excellence, unlocks sustainable financing, and champions inclusivity. This ecosystem should not only ensure that health innovations are developed for Africa, but also that they are created in Africa, by Africans, and for the world.
The world’s health security depends on it.
BIOGRAPHIES OF THE AUTHORS
Fara Ndiaye, Deputy Executive Director (Speak Up Africa)
Fara is a passionate advocate for sustainable development and social progress in Africa. With over 15 years of experience, her expertise spans global health, civil society engagement, water, sanitation, hygiene, and gender equality.
Previously, Fara led communications and advocacy initiatives at Malaria No More in Senegal and worked on migration challenges with organizations including the International Organization for Migration. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and international development from McGill University and a master’s in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Fara’s work is driven by her belief that hard work, determination, compassion, and optimism are key to creating a more equitable future for all.
Dr George Githuka, Program Director (CHReaD)
George Githuka is a seasoned public health expert with extensive experience in disease control, prevention management, and health program leadership. He currently serves as the Programme Director for Disease Control & Prevention Management at Amref Health Africa in Kenya, where he leads strategic initiatives to enhance health outcomes across Africa.
Before his role at Amref, George held key leadership positions in Kenya’s public health sector, including Head of the Division of National Malaria Program and Head of the Division of Research & Innovation. His expertise spans across malaria control, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS prevention, and health systems strengthening.
With a background in program management, he has also served as Program Manager for PMTCT at the National AIDS/STI Control Program and as a Program Officer at the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Lung Disease Program under Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
George is passionate about transforming public health systems, driving research and innovation, and fostering community-centered approaches to healthcare.
Prof Keitshepile Geoffrey Setswe, Managing Director: Implementation Research Division (Aurum Institute and SAHTAC)
Prof Setswe’s research interests are in the behavioural and social aspects of HIV/AIDS/STI and TB, health policy, epidemiology, and global health issues, where he has about 98 publications and more than 60 conference presentations in these fields. He has supervised or co-supervised 45 completed Master’s and Doctoral degrees in public health and health sciences.
He previously worked for the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) as Executive Director of the HIV/AIDS/STI/TB (HAST) research programme, where he had grown through the ranks from Chief Research Specialist, Research Director and Deputy Executive Director from 2006 to 2017. Prof Setswe has served as Professor of Public Health at Monash University and was the founding Head of the School of Health Sciences at Monash South Africa where he also served as Chair of the Senate (Board of Studies) between 2010 and 2013.
He has a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree from the University of Limpopo and his Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree was obtained from Temple University in Philadelphia, USA, where he was a Fulbright Scholar in the 1990s.
Prof Setswe was the founding Director of the AIDS Research Institute at the University of Witwatersrand where he coordinated AIDS research between 2003 and 2005. He was deputy chair of the AIDS Consortium from 2005-2011. He has previously worked at the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA) as a lecturer, senior lecturer and professor of public health over an 11-year period where he was in the founding staff of the National School of Public Health (NSPH). In 2008-2012, he served as Co-Chair of the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (RME) Technical Task Team (TTT) of the SA National AIDS Council (SANAC) and has served on the Board of the Medical Research Council (MRC) as a non-executive director. He is a member of Council of the University of Venda and is also Extraordinary Professor and Adjunct Professor at Universities of Stellenbosch and Venda respectively.
Caroline Mbindyo, Chief Innovations Officer (Amref Health Africa)
Caroline is an experienced leader at the intersection of global health, innovation, technology, and international development. She has extensive experience in driving complex program deployments in multiple countries, finding, testing, and scaling innovations, and developing new business opportunities through public-private partnerships in emerging markets.
She has over 20 years’ experience running and growing entrepreneurial ventures in the nonprofit and commercial space, and applying innovative approaches for profit, purpose, and sustainability. Caroline is a Board Member of Equalize Health and D-Tree International.
