Amid profound disruptions in global health funding that threaten access to healthcare across Africa, scientific leaders from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe are advancing practical Africa-led solutions to strengthen research and development (R&D) for health.

While national and regional policies have sought to address long-standing barriers within Africa’s R&D ecosystem, many challenges persist, particularly at the operational level. Fourteen Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellows now outline actionable pathways to unlock Africa’s health research potential, actively calling on researchers, policymakers, implementers, funders, and governments to collaboratively contribute to reshaping and enabling the continent’s R&D landscape.

In a commentary published on January 15, 2026, in Nature Health, the authors argue that “the challenges we face as Africans in the current rapidly changing international funding environment underscore the importance of engaging in relevant actions to collectively shape a bright future for African R&D.”

Prof. Nicki Tiffin, lead author of the commentary and Deputy Director of the South African National Bioinformatics Institute at the University of the Western Cape, notes that while many of the barriers facing health researchers are complex, a significant number are operational and solvable through context-specific interventions aligned to local needs and realities.

To lower systemic barriers to research and development in Africa, the Fellows call for urgent action across six priority areas:

1. Product development: Build a sustainable, private sector-led R&D ecosystem that accelerates innovation and commercialisation through collaboration, policy, and capital
2. Financial ecosystems: Create a diversified and sustainable R&D financing ecosystem with domestic public, private, and philanthropic investment
3. Human capital: Develop a robust, diverse R&D workforce supported by clear career pathways and expanded access to STEM education
4. Health data ecosystems: Establish strong health data infrastructure and digital-enabling environments, alongside support for digital skills development
5. Supply chain and logistics: Foster efficient and resilient R&D supply chains that ensure timely access to quality inputs and support local production
6. Research culture, equity, and excellence: Promote an inclusive research culture grounded in mentorship, collaboration, ethical practice, and excellence

Reflecting on supply chain constraints, Prof. Iruka Okeke of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, observed that “while procurement and logistical processes in many African countries fail to align with the realities of R&D, these same systems worked efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating that current challenges can be addressed with collaborative and combined interventions.”
 
Dr. Yaw Bediako, CEO of Yemaachi Biotech and Dean of Research and Innovation at Ashesi University, Ghana, highlighted Africa’s demographic and scientific inflection point, noting that “strategic investment in product development can transform youth potential, biodiversity, and scientific ingenuity into innovation, real-world impact, and prosperity for future generations.”

The Fellows’ call aligns with a growing movement across scientific community demanding delivery-focused, locally grounded reform. Recent discourse challenging performative change in favour of solutions that work reflects a strong appetite for action over rhetoric. “This is not a wish list,” said Prof. Tom Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer of the Science for Africa Foundation, which supports the Fellowship’s communications. “It is an invitation to act together, using approaches that are already within reach. Africa’s health challenges are urgent, but so are the solutions.”

Notes to Editors

About the Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship
Launched in 2021, the Gates Foundation funded Fellowship supports African researchers to advance scientific leadership while working collaboratively to strengthen research and innovation ecosystems across the continent.

About the Science for Africa Foundation
The SFA Foundation is a pan-African, non-profit, and public charity organisation that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation in Africa. The SFA Foundation serves the African research ecosystem by funding excellent ideas in research and innovation, enabling interdisciplinary collaborations, and building and reinforcing environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that generates new, locally relevant
knowledge.

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