ANNUAL UPDATE 2025

Science Amid Shifting Geopolitics

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."

Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities could have been describing the tumultuous geopolitics that are currently roiling science in Africa and globally in 2025. The world is experiencing unprecedented shifts in politics, the economy and the understanding of science itself, with implications that demand urgent, clear and strategic responses from African and global institutions and policymakers.

The Geopolitical Landscape and its Impact on Science in Africa

Recent developments are creating both challenges and opportunities for science in Africa. Executive orders by the US to withdraw from the World Health Organization and halt foreign development assistance are having far-reaching consequences, particularly for global health. Current geopolitical tensions continue to shape global funding flows, as seen in Uganda, where the suspension of funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could exacerbate the Ebola outbreak.

Similarly, budget cuts across scientific departments and fields have had a triple impact on Africa, as reductions in both research funding and international aid have affected key organisations that support science on the continent, including USAID, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Specifically, African science programmes will lose critical funding in areas such as climate research, women's access to reproductive health, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) initiatives previously supported by USAID. Additionally, NIH funding cuts will affect research on HIV/AIDS—including efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission—as well as other infectious diseases like malaria, neglected tropical diseases, alongside chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which are increasingly prevalent in Africa. Rather than upholding the principles of global human welfare, some countries appear to be following the US lead in reducing funding, further exacerbating the challenges faced by African research.

Disruptions in global health supply chains have impacted the delivery of essential antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for people living with HIV while funding cuts to malaria and tuberculosis programmes risk increasing infection rates and limiting access to treatment, threatening to reverse decades of progress. Additionally, many healthcare workers have lost their jobs—in Kenya more than 40,000 direct and indirect jobs have been affected by USAID termination of projects—and the withdrawal of USAID and WHO support by US has resulted in the loss of critical technical guidance and resources needed to manage health crises and implement effective health policies. It is incumbent upon African governments to step in, for example, on behalf of patients who have been abandoned during ongoing clinical trials, which could impact not just participants but also future patients as well as the broader public trust.

The tumultuous landscape accelerates the need for Africa to develop and execute a pan-continental strategy for science, innovation and development that is more grounded in Africa’s strategic priorities and less dependent on shifting global politics. The African Union's Agenda 2063 and its 10-year science blueprint, the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) 2034—launched in February, succeeding STISA 2024 —could not have been timelier and prioritises knowledge-based economies, innovation-driven industrialisation and inclusive growth. STISA 2034 serves as a framework for scientific progress that aligns with the continent’s socio-economic transformation goals.

Africa Defining its own Science and Development Agenda

The SFA Foundation has played a critical role in contributing to STISA 2034 and remains committed to ensuring its successful implementation. Both Agenda 2063 and STISA 2034’s success depends on the willingness of African nations to fully harness the potential of science through financial investment, incentivising collaboration between research and industry, and creating a more enabling policy environment for research and development.

Charting a Strategic Response for Science in Africa

The SFA Foundation was prepared for these disruptions through the establishment of a strategy that defines Africa’s science ecosystems. From Science to Impact, launched in 2023, has fostered significant growth for the organisation, reflected in an increase in funds mobilised in 2024. Our goal is to have raised and spent $250 million by the completion of our five-year strategy in 2027. While this is a significant milestone for us, it remains insufficient to fully meet the needs of the ecosystem. This underscores the necessity for increased commitments from African philanthropists and governments, who are already making substantial financial and in-kind contributions, such as investing in research infrastructure and funding scientists’ salaries. If governments align their investments with the African Union’s target of allocating 1% of GDP to R&D, Africa has the potential to mobilise billions in homegrown funding for science and innovation.

According to IMF data from 44 African countries, the total GDP in 2024 was $2.47 trillion. One per cent of this amounts to $25.67 billion. The chart below shows the current approx. investment in R&D in Billions USD by region, what 1% GDP by region would look like and the variance, i.e. what Africa needs to invest.

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Increasing domestic investment in R&D and healthcare—through larger national budget allocations—can help mitigate the impact of lost international funding. This includes strengthening healthcare infrastructure, securing medical supplies, and prioritising workforce development to ensure continuity of research and care. Additionally, public-private partnerships offer a vital avenue for resource mobilisation and improved R&D and healthcare delivery. Collaboration with the private sector can enhance supply chains, expand telemedicine services, and drive innovation in health technology, ensuring broader access to essential care.

Beyond funding, Africa must enhance the resilience of its health systems. This means improving emergency preparedness, investing in robust infrastructure, and securing reliable access to medical commodities. Leveraging technology, such as digital health solutions and mobile clinics, can bridge gaps in service delivery, particularly in remote areas. At the same time, governments should prioritise workforce training and retention by offering competitive salaries and career development opportunities to curb brain drain. Strengthening community health programmes and involving community health workers (CHWs) will also reinforce primary healthcare and disease prevention efforts. However, health resilience cannot be achieved in isolation. Food insecurity, driven by climate change, forces populations to migrate to marginal areas, increasing human-animal interactions as people seek alternative food sources. These interactions heighten the risk of pathogen spillover from animals to humans, leading to disease outbreaks and epidemics. Simultaneously, biodiversity loss and habitat destruction further accelerate the frequency of such outbreaks. A One Health approach—recognising the linkages between human, animal, and environmental health—is crucial to breaking this cycle. Diversifying funding sources—by engaging with alternative funders, regional partners, and emerging economies—can secure financial sustainability, but Africa must also invest in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land use, and policies that mitigate the health consequences of environmental degradation. Only through a holistic, integrated strategy can the continent strengthen its health systems while addressing the root causes of emerging health threats and the interconnectedness of climate and environment, agriculture and health.

Priorities for 2025

This year, we will continue prioritising work to bolster the science and innovation ecosystem and address challenges that arise from the interconnectedness of climate, agriculture, and health, focusing on the following key areas:

Science diplomacy is becoming increasingly crucial in fostering international collaboration, mitigating conflicts, and ensuring that Africa has a strong, clear voice in global scientific discourse. History provides valuable lessons: in the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, African scientists played a critical role in shaping global health policies and response strategies. Nigeria successfully halted the spread of Ebola through rapid contact tracing and case isolation, setting a model later adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Scientists from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia contributed to clinical trials that led to the development of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine, now a key tool in outbreak preparedness. Their expertise also influenced WHO’s reforms to international health regulations, strengthening global epidemic response frameworks. All these Africa-led advances helped to lay a foundation for the later COVID outbreak, accelerating progress and saving lives.

Science diplomacy is equally critical in climate change negotiations, securing sustainable science funding and influencing policy decisions. The SFA Foundation is committed to driving the science diplomacy agenda and equipping African scientists and institutions with the tools to shape global discussions and ensure evidence-based policy decisions that address the continent’s challenges.

The SFA Foundation advocates for increased investment from African governments to strengthen local funding mechanisms to enhance the sustainability and impact of scientific initiatives and increase the independence of African science. We have a number of models that we are using to enable the wise investment by African governments. Through the hub and spoke model, for example, our 14 DELTAS Africa have unlocked more funding flows from their governments and other funding partners- over $ 17 M to be exact in the two years since the launch of the second phase. Other consortia employing the hub-and-spoke model include the four Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) consortia, along with seven new consortia in pandemic sciences and resilience set to receive funding in 2025. This expansion will bring the total to 27 consortia, all aligned with the SFA Foundation’s core thematic areas: Health, Climate & Environment, and Agricultural R&D.

Another successful model for unlocking government and industry funding is Grand Challenges, a family of initiatives that foster innovation to drive global health and development. Grand Challenges Africa has emerged as a highly effective funding mechanism, enabling countries such as Botswana, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda, Malawi, and Nigeria to invest in research and innovation. The GC Africa model promotes multi-stakeholder collaboration within the continent’s research ecosystem, strengthening R&D through strategic funding, technical support, and resource coordination.

A third model involves establishing Africa’s largest longitudinal population cohort, designed to harness the power of long-term data for impactful research and policy. This initiative aims to generate critical insights into health and well-being across the lifespan, the effects of climate change on health, and the role of cohort data in advancing universal health coverage. By integrating diverse data sources and fostering collaboration across research institutions, this model has the potential to drive evidence-based policymaking and strengthen Africa’s health systems.

Through partnerships created with agencies, international funders and organisations that include African Union Development Agency NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), THE United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), our goal is to prioritise informed decision making in promoting sustainable growth on the continent. Circling back to the various DELTAS Africa consortia utilizsing the Hub-and-Spoke model, for example, they consortia have played a pivotal role in advising governments on critical science policy areas. These include shaping responses to public health emergencies such as COVID-19, guiding policies on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), advancing precision medicine, and championing the One Health approach to address Africa’s interconnected health challenges. Additionally, these consortia provide strategic counsel on the expansion of R&D infrastructure, ensuring that scientific advancements align with national and continental development priorities.

The Foundation is committed to generating and disseminating knowledge that informs policy and practice. Data and findings generated by our programmes drive thought leadership within and beyond the SFA Foundation. An advisory and science diplomacy think tank will complement funded research to leverage expertise within Africa and beyond, impacting operational strategies and transforming the science and innovation landscape.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play an increasingly vital role in the strategic direction of the SFA Foundation. AI-powered tools will enhance data analysis, streamline research processes and improve decision-making across scientific fields. AI-driven solutions will be integrated into knowledge management systems to better track research impact, optimise funding allocation and identify emerging scientific trends.

In recognition of the potential of AI to revolutionise global health, the SFA Foundation is releasing a first-of-its-kind report that comprehensively examines national perspectives on AI and data science for health in Africa. It will provide unprecedented insights into AI governance, equity and integration into health strategies across the continent.

In 2024, in collaboration with our partners, the Foundation awarded grants to fifty AI innovators who are harnessing AI to advance bold solutions to pressing global health challenges, 17 of whom are in Africa -- a significant step forward in Africa’s leadership in AI-driven health innovation. In addition to them, eight grantees working in the thematic area of climate and health and funded through GC Africa are leveraging AI to analyse their data, demonstrating the diverse applications of AI in tackling complex health and environmental challenges.

Ensuring equitable access to research funding and opportunities is critical. Many African researchers operate in under-resourced environments with limited infrastructure, affecting the quality and delivery of research. Women, in particular, remain underrepresented, making up only 31% of the scientific workforce in Africa. This is reflected in grant applications to the SFA Foundation, 70% of which originated with a male Principal Investigator.

To address this, the SFA Foundation has integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) into its grant-making framework and contracting processes to foster inclusivity. As a result, nearly 42% of our grant recipients (compared to 30% of applicants) are women, reflecting tangible progress toward gender parity in research funding.

Our commitment to DEI extends beyond gender to encompass broader representation, inclusion of voices, and equitable access to opportunities. Through our pan-African programmes, we actively promote diversity by ensuring a variety of perspectives are represented and fostering inclusive dialogue through regular convenings and co-creation processes. We advance equity by addressing systemic barriers, ensuring fair treatment, and providing tailored support to researchers working in under-resourced environments. Our focus on inclusivity fosters a sense of belonging, active participation, and respect for all within the research ecosystem

Navigating Global Turmoil through with Innovation and Resilience

As we navigate the complexities of shifting global geopolitics, the role of science in shaping Africa’s future is more critical than ever. The SFA Foundation remains committed to fostering science diplomacy, mobilising local resources, advancing thought leadership and leveraging AI to drive innovation and efficiency in research. By aligning with Agenda 2063 and STISA 2035, Africa has the opportunity to define her own scientific and development agenda, driving socio-economic progress on her own terms.

Tom Kariuki, PhD

Chief Executive Officer, SFA Foundation

The Geopolitical Landscape and its Impact on Science in Africa

Africa Defining its own Science and Development Agenda

Charting a Strategic Response for Science in Africa

Priorities for 2025

01 - Science Diplomacy for Stronger Science Ecosystems

02 - Resource Mobilisation from African Governments

03 - Knowledge Management for Thought Leadership

04 - Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Scientific Progress

05 - Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Navigating Global Turmoil through with Innovation and Resilience

Tom Kariuki, PhD