Speak Up Africa drives African-led, sustainable change in Public Health 

Dakar, Senegal – Speak Up Africa is proud to share its 2024 Impact Report, a year defined by bold action, strengthened partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to advancing health equity, sustainable development, and inclusive leadership across Africa.

Rooted in our belief that lasting change comes from local leadership and community-driven solutions, 2024 was a pivotal year. Speak Up Africa worked hand in hand with governments, local organizations, artists, athletes, and community leaders, building a powerful coalition to amplify diverse voices and tackle some of Africa’s most urgent health challenges.

“I am proud of the tremendous growth of Speak Up Africa as an African voice driving sustainable change in health, development, and leadership,” said Yacine Djibo, Founder and Executive Director. “Our achievements are made possible through the insightful leadership and collaboration with government ministries, community partners, and local actors who share our vision for health equity for all.” 

During the Africa Cup of Nations, we reached over 1.5 million people with our malaria campaign, powered by partnerships with Canal+ Benin and recording artist Didi B. This momentum rallied support for our Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement that mobilizes and empowers communities to take ownership over the fight to end malaria.

Our support of locally-led advocacy contributed to major policy advances including Côte d’Ivoire’s ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) treaty and Senegal’s attainment of WHO Maturity Level 3 in pharmaceutical regulation, a key milestone for regional health governance and regulatory strengthening. We also witnessed significant increases in domestic health budgets, including a 20% rise of Benin’s malaria budget in 2024 and 28.5% increase has been secured for 2025, reflecting growing national ownership and resource mobilization. 

In 2024, Speak Up Africa deepened its commitment to advancing gender equity by investing in women-led advocacy and innovation through initiatives like Voix EssentiELLEs and the African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) network. Our Voix EssentiELLEs initiative, working across Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, supported 39 local organizations, strengthening their capacity to lead, advocate, and shape inclusive public health agendas. Our AWiDH network has supported five women working in digital health develop their leadership skills and support the delivery of the continent’s first gender-inclusive digital health guidelines and launching the African Digital Health Equity Roadmap (ADHER) to ensuring women’s voices are considered in shaping health policies and innovation.

The strength of cross-sector collaboration was demonstrated by the Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative, mobilizing over $6 million in funding and support from 59 private sector companies, from 2021 to 2024 demonstrating how diverse partners can come together to drive scalable public health impact. 

“At Speak Up Africa, we believe that solving Africa’s toughest health challenges requires bold collaboration. By uniting the voices of artists, athletes, innovators, and grassroots leaders, we’re not just raising awareness, we’re shifting mindsets, inspiring action, and accelerating progress towards a healthier, more equitable continent.,” said Fara Ndiaye, Deputy Executive Director.  

Looking forward, Speak Up Africa will continue to deepen investment in women and youth leadership, particularly in digital health innovation, expand private sector engagement to mobilize sustainable resources, and strengthen local research and development ecosystems. Our work aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063 to promote resilient health systems and inclusive growth.

“Now more than ever, Africa needs bold voices, courageous leadership, and unified action,” added Djibo.