Health experts and policymakers have called on Africa to take ownership of its research agenda and strengthen translational science to improve health outcomes and drive economic growth across the continent.
The call was made at the SPARK Africa Translational Research Bootcamp and Conference in Abuja, which brought together health professionals, researchers and professors from within and outside Nigeria.
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The conference was organised by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in partnership with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and SPARK Global at Stanford University, California.
According to organisers, the week-long bootcamp aims to equip African researchers with the skills to translate scientific discoveries into practical health innovations that improve lives and stimulate economic development.
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Bridging research and patient care
Speaking at the event, Kevin Grimes, a professor at Stanford University and co-director of SPARK, said that Africa’s health and economic well-being depend on researchers’ ability to translate scientific discoveries into products that benefit patients.
Mr Grimes said African scientists are as capable as their counterparts in high-income countries but are often constrained by limited resources and weak support systems for translational research.
“Academic science is very good at generating discoveries, but too often that is where the process ends. Without translational research, those discoveries never reach patients,” he said.
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He explained that the SPARK programme was created to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world application by pairing scientists with industry experts who understand product development, regulation and commercialisation.
Drawing from SPARK’s experience at Stanford and in Taiwan, Mr Grimes said about half of research projects supported by the programme eventually move into clinical trials or are licensed to biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Africa is setting its own priorities
Mr Grimes stressed the importance of African scientists setting their own research priorities, warning against over-reliance on external funders to determine the continent’s health agenda.
He cited examples in pharmacogenomics showing how genetic differences among African populations affect drug response, including treatments for HIV, breast cancer and neurological diseases.
“Healthcare is too important to outsource the research agenda. These products should be developed in Africa, by Africans, for Africans,” he said.
Unlocking Nigeria’s healthcare value chain
Also speaking, Abdul Mukhtar, national coordinator of PVAC, said research and development remain the foundation of Nigeria’s ambition to expand local manufacturing of healthcare products.
Mr Mukhtar said Africa accounts for only about two per cent of global research and development spending, a gap he described as unsustainable.
“To move from manufacturing to patient care, research and development are fundamental. You cannot unlock the healthcare value chain without getting research and development right,” he said.
He said the federal government is building an ecosystem to support translational research, including clinical trial infrastructure, human capital development, supply chains and financing.
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Mr Mukhtar disclosed that Nigeria would on Wednesday launch Africa’s first healthcare manufacturing academy as part of efforts to build skilled manpower for the sector.
Call for collaboration
In his welcome address, Obi Adigwe, director-general of NIPRD, warned of growing global threats to science, including misinformation, political interference and declining research funding.
Mr Adigwe said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in global scientific cooperation and underscored the need for courage, collaboration and translational research.
“Science must move beyond publications and titles to solving real problems in our communities,” he said, urging scientists to prioritise impact, public engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.
He called for stronger partnerships among academia, industry, regulators and government to ensure that research addresses Africa’s specific health needs.
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