North‑West University physiology professor Lebo Gafane‑Matemane says Africa already possesses the knowledge, expertise and data needed to address its health challenges, without relying on external sources.

She highlights the continent’s demographic diversity and the presence of a large pool of young scholars as a strong base for improving health outcomes across the region.

According to Gafane‑Matemane, existing African data on cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, infectious diseases and genetic variation can help researchers understand disease mechanisms, identify risk factors and design treatments that suit diverse populations.

Past contributions and current funding pressures

African researchers have previously contributed to global health breakthroughs, including advances in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and non‑communicable disease research, spanning epidemiology, public health and biomedical fields.

Despite these achievements, the continent faces funding constraints and shifting global health financing, which Gafane‑Matemane warns should not limit its capacity to produce impactful research.

Calls for equitable partnerships and community‑led research

The professor urges stronger, equitable partnerships that prioritize data sovereignty, fair authorship and shared decision‑making, both between African institutions and the Global North and among African partners themselves.

She also stresses the need to involve communities throughout the research cycle, drawing on indigenous knowledge and principles such as Ubuntu to ensure research translates into tangible health improvements.