Despite bearing nearly 25% of the global disease burden, Africa contributes only around 10% of global health research and is home to less than 1.1% of clinical trial sites. African scientists continue to be underrepresented in setting research agendas, leading international collaborations, and influencing the policy and investment decisions that shape the continent’s health future. It is against this backdrop that African Voices of Science was established in 2020 to strengthen African scientific leadership, amplify African expertise, and ensure that African evidence drives policies, investments, and innovation for Africa’s most pressing health priorities.

The catalyst for launching African Voices of Science was the wave of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 across Africa, serious enough that institutions established dedicated systems to monitor and counter it. At the height of the pandemic, African Voices of Science created a platform for African health research leaders to share credible, evidence-based information and counter narratives that threatened public health across the continent.

The initiative demonstrated that when African scientists are equipped with the right platform, skills, and support, they can cut through misinformation and shape public discourse at scale, reaching more than 500 million people with trusted, African-led voices. The first cohort was therefore focused on responding to an immediate public health crisis while elevating African scientific expertise.

Building on that success, the second cohort marked an important evolution. Bringing together 20 champions from Kenya, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa, the initiative shifted from responding to misinformation toward proactively shaping Africa’s health research narrative. The focus expanded to highlighting the economic and societal value of health research, strengthening advocacy for increased domestic investment in research and development, and positioning African scientists as influential voices in regional and global health policy discussions.

Today, African Voices of Science enters its next chapter with the launch of The Road to Zero Malaria cohort. Building on the initiative’s proven model, this new cohort applies the same approach to one of Africa’s most urgent public health priorities: malaria elimination. Bringing together seven leading malaria scientists from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, the programme equips champions with advanced communication, media engagement, advocacy, and leadership skills to translate scientific evidence into policy influence. Working in alignment with the RBM Partnership to End Malaria’s Big Push framework, the cohort aims to ensure that African expertise helps shape decisions on financing, innovation, data systems, and programme implementation. Rather than creating a new initiative, The Road to Zero Malaria extends African Voices of Science into a strategic disease-specific platform, reinforcing its broader mission of positioning African scientists at the centre of Africa’s health agenda and accelerating progress towards a malaria-free continent.