Who sets the agenda for research in Africa? Too often, the priorities are shaped by international donors rather than the communities facing the challenges. What if African researchers had the autonomy and resources to ask the questions that matter most to them?
Yesterday, I met with Dr. Julius Kirimi Sindi and learned about the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), an African-led institution in Nairobi that focuses on population health. APHRC is asking African questions and finding African solutions, investigating topics like maternal and child health, chronic disease, nutrition systems, and health policy. The goal is to promote health as a human right for every African (APHRC, 2024a).
APHRC works through three divisions: Research, Research and Related Capacity Strengthening, and Policy Engagement and Communications (APHRC, 2024b). This model produces research and guides local expertise whose findings shape policy and decision-making.
The publications investigate areas like sexual and reproductive health, adolescent wellbeing, food systems, and health systems strengthening. These topics are selected by African researchers who know the continent’s realities, not by external donors or global trends (Fonn et al., 2018).
Like many African research institutions, APHRC depends on external funding. This raises a difficult question: When most of the money comes from international agencies, whose questions are being answered?
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for only 3% of global health spending, which makes it hard for African researchers to secure funding that fully aligns with local priorities (Agyepong et al., 2017). International collaborations can add value, but there is always the risk that donor agendas may distract from the needs of local communities (Costello & Zumla, 2000).
There is an opportunity for American universities and research institutions to rethink how they partner with African centers like APHRC. Instead of a donor-recipient model, partnerships can support African researchers in setting the agenda while still benefiting from collaboration. One way to achieve this is by building long-term partnerships with a focus on African-defined research priorities. Another approach is to support South-South exchanges that connect African researchers with peers in Asia or Latin America, who have similar challenges (Chu et al., 2014). Additionally, American universities could share advanced analytical tools and technical expertise while African institutions maintain control over the data and findings.
This kind of collaboration would benefit both sides. American researchers gain insights from diverse health systems and populations, while African researchers gain the resources needed to answer locally relevant questions (Whitworth et al., 2008).
There are also critical gaps in areas like autism research, where African-led studies could provide valuable information on prevalence, early diagnosis, culturally appropriate interventions, ending stigma, and support systems for families. Additional research could explore early autism screening in community settings, train local educators and health workers to identify developmental differences, and create low-cost, family-centered interventions with humility to African cultural contexts.
Urban health is another focus area. With fast urbanization, Africa’s future will depend on how cities grow and how health systems respond (The Academy of Science of South Africa, 2018). Local researchers are better positioned to investigate the cultural, economic, and political contexts that shape these challenges.
Institutions like APHRC do not just need funding but partnerships that allow pursuing long-term research rather than adjusting to donor priorities. For American institutions, the key question is not “How can we help Africa?” but “How can we learn and work together to solve shared problems?” The model APHRC represents what is possible when African researchers have autonomy and resources. Supporting this collaborative model produces good ethical science (Nachega et al., 2016).
#AfricanResearch · #GlobalHealth · #ResearchPartnerships · #HealthPolicy · #KnowledgeExchange
References
1. African Population and Health Research Center. (2024a). About APHRC.[ https://aphrc.org/about/](https://aphrc.org/about/)
2. African Population and Health Research Center. (2024b). Research.[ https://aphrc.org/research/](https://aphrc.org/research/)
3. Agyepong, I. A., Sewankambo, N., Binagwaho, A., Coll-Seck, A. M., Corrah, T., Ezeh, A., Maceira, D., Kiguli, J., Nyong, A., Kitua, A., Mayosi, B. M., Mulholland, K., Mwaba, P., Piot, P., Traore, M., Jaffar, S., & Pang, T. (2017). The path to longer and healthier lives for all Africans by 2030: The Lancet Commission on the future of health in sub-Saharan Africa. The Lancet, 390(10114), 2803–2859.[ https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31509-X](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31509-X)
4. Chu, K. M., Jayaraman, S., Kyamanywa, P., & Ntakiyiruta, G. (2014). Building research capacity in Africa: Equity and global health collaborations. PLOS Medicine, 11(3), e1001612.[ https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001612](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001612)
5. Costello, A., & Zumla, A. (2000). Moving to research partnerships in developing countries. BMJ, 321(7264), 827–829.[ https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7264.827](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7264.827)
6. Fonn, S., Ray, S., & Kilama, B. (2018). Repositioning Africa in global health: Threats and opportunities. Global Health Action, 11(1), 1487241.[ https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2018.1487241](https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2018.1487241)
7. Nachega, J. B., Uthman, O. A., Ho, Y. S., Lo, M., Anude, C., Kayembe, P., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Gomo, E., Sow, P. S., Obike, U., Kambugu, A., Aberg, J. A., Cotton, M. F., Lowenthal, E. D., Mills, E. J., & Klausner, J. D. (2016). Current status and future prospects of epidemiology and public health training and research in the WHO African region. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41(6), 1829–1846.[ https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dys189](https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dys189)
8. The Academy of Science of South Africa. (2018). Revitalising clinical research in Africa. ASSAf.
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