Despite bearing 25% of the global disease burden, Africa contributes only 10% to global health research and is home to less than 1.1% of clinical trial sites. It is against this backdrop that African Voices of Science was established in 2020 — to strengthen the role of African scientists in shaping policy, driving investment, and advancing the continent’s health research priorities. African Voices of Science exists to move beyond conversation and into action, transforming African-led health research into a cornerstone of the continent’s economic growth, health security, and global influence.

The catalyst for the launch of African Voices of Science was the wave of misinformation surrounding COVID19 across Africa, serious enough that institutions built dedicated systems to track and counter it. At the height of the crisis, African Voices of Science offered a platform for African health research leaders to share reliable, evidence-based information and push back against narratives threatening public health across the continent.

The initiative proved that African scientists, when given the right platform and support, can cut through the noise and shift narratives at scale, reaching over 500 million people with credible, continent-led voices. This first cohort was fundamentally responding to an immediate crisis and countering misinformation as it spread.

Building on that success, the second cohort marked a decisive shift. Bringing together 20 champions from Kenya, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa, this cohort moved beyond countering existing misinformation to actively building and shaping Africa’s health research narrative. The focus expanded to leveraging the economic and social value of health research as a tool to drive greater financial investment and political commitment to the continent’s research and development ecosystem.