Africans’ health challenges: The case for homegrown biomedical research

By: Ifeoluwa Oladapo

FOR decades, Africa has relied on foreign medical research and  to tackle its health crises, and the results no doubt raises major concerns. From malaria to cancer, the continent continues to bear the highest burden of diseases that have long solutions elsewhere, or worse, diseases that remain neglected globally. Yet, the solution has always been within reach: Africa needs its own biomedical research revolution.  The current model, where data, diagnostics, and drugs are imported, isn’t just unsustainable, it creates a dependency that limits rapid responses to emerging threats and leaves local health systems perpetually unprepared. We will therefore consider some factors*

 The Price of Scientific Dependence: Consider this: when COVID-19 struck, African scientists were some of the last to access vaccine technology, clinical trial resources, and manufacturing capacity. The continent had to wait, negotiate, and sometimes beg for access to solutions. Meanwhile, region-specific diseases, such as Lassa fever, sickle cell disease, and schistosomiasis, remain under-researched because they are not considered global priorities.  If Africa does not research its diseases, who will? This dependence not only delays responses but perpetuates inequity. It means millions die waiting for solutions that a robust, well-funded African biomedical research ecosystem could have delivered more quickly and affordably.

Local science, local solutions: Homegrown biomedical research is about more than national pride. It ensures that health interventions are tailored to local genetics, environments, and socio-cultural contexts. For example, cancer drugs developed in Western labs may not account for unique genetic mutations prevalent among African populations, limiting their efficacy. By investing in local research, Africa can develop treatments tailored to its people, based on real-world data gathered from its diverse populations and ecosystems. It can create affordable diagnostics, accessible drugs, and policies grounded in science.

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Innovation needs investment: Despite its potential, funding for research across Africa remains very low, often below 1% of the country’s GDP. This is compounded by brain drain, where talented researchers leave for countries that offer better funding, infrastructure, and respect for science. Governments, the private sector, and regional bodies must step up their efforts. Investing in research is investing in the future: in pandemic preparedness, in reducing healthcare costs, and in creating a knowledge economy that can compete globally.

A call to action: The African Union’s ambition for health sovereignty can only be realized with strong biomedical research. Policymakers must embed research in national health strategies, universities must prioritize translational science, and private investors must see research as an opportunity, not a risk. Public health without biomedical research is essentially a matter of guesswork. And guesswork is not a strategy for a continent battling the double burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases.

 Science revolution for health equity: In conclusion, if Africa is to control its health destiny, it must lead in its scientific research. The time for dependency is over. A continent of over a billion people deserves more than hand-me-down science. It’s time to fund our labs, empower our scientists, and generate the solutions we’ve always needed, because no one will understand our diseases better than we do.

•Oladapo is a PhD student at Washington State University, specializing in Molecular Biosciences.