This week: chair appointed at South Africa’s science oversight committee, and new Kenyan education minister

In depth: South Africa’s science department has said it will channel funds from its “existing budget for international cooperation” to support Palestine in rebuilding its science capacity and infrastructure.

Full story: Science minister Blade Nzimande says “existing budget” will fund joint research, despite domestic austerity

Also this week from Research Professional News

Scientists hail ‘tremendous progress’ in cutting HIV cases—New infections in Africa are down but more work is needed, says HIV researcher

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

South Africa’s science oversight committee finally elects chair

The parliamentary committee overseeing South Africa’s Department of Science  and Innovation has elected the African National Congress’s Tsakani Shiviti as its chairperson. Her appointment was confirmed on 17 July, but most other parliamentary committees had already elected chairpersons a week earlier and had heard departmental plans for the next financial year. While some members expressed frustration at the delays and confusion that blocked the work of the committee, science minister Blade Nzimande congratulated Shiviti and welcomed “constructive criticism” from the committee.

New education minister in Kenya

After sacking his cabinet following deadly protests against an unpopular tax bill, Kenyan president William Ruto announced a “new broad-based cabinet” with Julius Migosi Ogamba at the helm of education. On 19 July, Ruto said a “wider range of ideas, programmes and interventions are needed” for the government to turn Kenya’s economy around.

Geospatial data useful for health and state planning in Nigeria

Geospatial data analysts from the Data Science Nigeria (DSNai) network presented case studies on data-driven urban planning during the Geopalooza summit held in Kenya this week. The experts showed, for example, how mobility data can inform vaccine logistics and how satellite imagery can be used for environmental monitoring. The meeting, which was the fourth of its kind organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also discussed “enhancing in-country geospatial capacity”, according to a DSNai post on X, formerly Twitter.

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New infections in Africa are down but more work is needed, says HIV researcher

Scientists from countries including South Africa, Uganda and Botswana have presented their latest findings on the search for an HIV cure as part of a conference held in Munich, Germany.

Presentations at the 25th International Aids Conference on 23 July covered immune responses in individuals on long-term treatment, novel targets for an HIV cure and how HIV affects the tonsils of adults and children. 

‘Investment pays off’

“This was a wonderful session highlighting HIV cure research work of early career researchers in Africa, usually under difficult circumstances,” said HIV researcher Thumbi Ndung’u in a post on the social media site X. 

Ndung’u serves as the director of the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence, which hosted the session and is a programme of the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa.

The research presented shows that “investment in science in Africa pays off”, Ndung’u said, but he told Research Professional News that while there has been “tremendous progress” in reducing the numbers of new infections in Africa, new innovations towards cure strategies are still in their infancy.

HIV prevalence survey

South Africa’s deputy health minister Joe Phaahla led a delegation of scientists, activists and government officials to the conference, according to a report from the South African Government News Agency. This year’s conference, which runs until 26 July, “offers a platform to address persistent challenges which impact negatively on countries’ overall HIV response”, the agency wrote.

It also wrote that South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council would present its latest data on HIV prevalence, incidence and behaviour.

“The presentation will encompass key behavioural indicators, HIV incidence and HIV drug resistance,” said the HSRC on 24 July, adding that the data would be made publicly available and would inform strategies to address South Africa’s HIV epidemic.

The post Scientists hail ‘tremendous progress’ in cutting HIV cases appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: climate resilience, new board members for South Africa’s research funder, science budget showdown

In depth: South African MPs raised concerns about student finances and university infrastructure during a debate on the Department of Higher Education’s budget for 2024-25, presented by minister Nobuhle Nkabane.

Climate resilience in South Africa ‘urgent’

While the science of climate change is complex, South Africa can become resilient if the risks and urgency are appreciated, president Cyril Ramaphosa said on 15 July. Speaking at a climate symposium organised by the National Treasury, he said climate change is as much an “economic issue as it is a scientific, social justice, human rights and development issue”. Stormy weather caused widespread destruction in the Western Cape province last week, illustrating South Africa’s “extreme vulnerability” to climate change, Ramaphosa said.

New board for South African research funder

South Africa’s National Research Foundation announced on 12 July that science minister Blade Nzimande has appointed three new members to its board. New members Mathetha Mokonyama, Mavuso Shabalala and Funeka Khumalo “bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise from various areas, such as engineering and technical procurement, human resources and people management, and the business sector”, the NRF said in a statement.

Nzimande to present science budget after split with higher ed

Blade Nzimande, South Africa’s minister of science and innovation, will present his department’s budget to parliament on 18 July. Speaking to local news agency Newzroom Afrika on 17 July, Nzimande said the presidential PhD programme and other joint research projects between his department and the higher education department, which he jointly led in the previous administration, must not be “abandoned”. He committed to industry partnerships and leveraging new climate funding to make up for budget cuts, saying the R9.5 billion (US$523 million) allocated for the 2024-25 financial year is “not sufficient”.

The post Africa news roundup: 12-18 July appeared first on Research Professional News.

Stop “parachute” science while boosting communication and investment, researchers urge

Africans must improve community engagement and forge equitable science partnerships with the Global North in order to benefit from genetic research into living and ancient human populations on the continent, according to an expert group.

“The bottom line is that to create the type of equitable and inclusive research landscape we envision, we must invest in entire societies and next-generation scholars,” said Kendra Sirak, a genetics researcher at Harvard University, in a July 11 post on social network X, formerly Twitter.

In a commentary published in the American Journal of Human Genetics on the same day, Sirak and other geneticists, anthropologists, archaeologists, museum curators and educators outlined “landmarks” to achieve a more equitable population genetics and ancient DNA “research ecosystem” in Africa within the next 10 years.

Fueling research demand

While Africa’s rich biological and cultural heritage and genetic diversity is fueling research demand internationally, the authors argue that African researchers remain “starkly” underrepresented and face barriers including visa requirements, a lack of costly infrastructure, and unstable political situations.

The authors’ ‘landmarks’ include better communication with communities that could benefit from DNA-based population research but are hesitant to participate due to colonial legacies.

“In time, these [communication] efforts may become encoded in policy and legislation that re-centre and protect communal interests, traditional knowledge and cultural expressions that are directly or indirectly related to genetic resources,” the authors write.

Funding inequalities

They also recommend addressing the funding inequalities and “power and resource imbalances” that result in extractive research, as well as in the exclusion of African researchers.

“While there have been examples of strong partnerships between Global North and Global South scholars, scientific research has also included significant ‘parachute’ or ‘helicopter’ research reflecting differential contributions of resources, personnel and skillsets that led to imbalanced relationships,” they write.

Sirak said their recommendations to address barriers for African researchers represent “points of consensus” reached by experts during the DNAirobi meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, during 2023. According to the commentary, the event was attended by about 100 people, 80 per cent of whom were based in Africa.

The group’s vision for an ideal “research ecosystem” within a decade includes seeing more African principal investigators and lead authors on publications, and a global research culture that respects African “community values, norms, and religious and cultural practices”.

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History of exploitation creates unique considerations for studies on the continent, ethicists argue

Brain research data from Africa needs to be safeguarded amid a global rise in technologies that target the brain, ethicists based in South Africa and the United States have said. 

Such so-called neurotechnologies include technologies that treat or prevent brain disease or mental illness, as well as consumer-oriented technologies to track or enhance brain function.

In their commentary in the May/June issue of the South African Journal of Science, the ethicists argue that African researchers, study participants and communities must be protected from exploitation and must also benefit from brain research.

Olivia Matshabane, corresponding author on the commentary and a neuroethics researcher at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, says consumer neurotechnology companies have previously collected brain data without consent, violating privacy rights.

“In Africa, there have been past experiences of African people’s health data being collected, analysed and reported in ways that go against a community’s cultural values and beliefs,” she told Research Professional News.

“This is something that should be cautioned against and prevented from re-occurring in the realm of new and emerging neurotechnologies,” she said.

Special considerations

While neurotechnologies may ease the burden of neurological, psychiatric and substance-use disorders in underserved communities, Matshabane says their development and use should align with “African people’s values, principles and priorities”.

She and her fellow authors say that special ethical considerations apply in Africa. For example, when conducting neuroscience research on children, scientists should consider that many African children are vulnerable to disruptions in healthy brain development due to increased exposure to risk factors such as poverty, trauma, alcohol and HIV.

Furthermore, some neuroscientific interventions used to prevent or treat brain disease or mental illness in other parts of the world may not work or be accepted in Africa due to cultural reasons or local contexts, they write.

Global input

According to the commentary authors, neuroethicists within Africa are in a unique position to focus their attention on how African values and priorities can inform the development of contextually appropriate interventions.

They add that African people and scientists should be included in global neuroethics discussions early on, for a more “robust and nuanced debate”, and call on academics, policymakers and others to develop local guidelines for neurotechnologies that reflect African contexts.

Matshabane says Unesco has convened a group of 24 “experts from diverse backgrounds” to make global recommendations around neurotechnologies.

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Programme trained over 400 scientists in one year, created genome centre and central databank

More than 400 African biodiversity and agricultural scientists in genomics and bioinformatics have taken part in a training programme that launched last year.

The programme, called the African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP), aims to build capacity to generate, analyse and deploy genomics data for use in farming and conservation contexts.

A statement released by the University of Cape Town on 8 July, to coincide with the publication of an article in Nature Genetics highlighting the project, says AfricaBP held 28 workshops in 11 African countries in the course of last year.

According to UCT spokesperson Velisile Bukula, the workshops led to “exciting and transformative outcomes”, including the new African Genome Center in Morocco and the African Digital Sequence information databank for biodiversity and agriculture.

“These workshops attracted over 3,700 registered participants, with 408 scientists receiving hands-on training in molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics and the ethical, legal and social issues associated with acquiring genetic resources,” Bukula said.

“The 400+ scientists trained are now part of a community of practice-supporting efforts to address biodiversity challenges in Africa,” added AfricaBP co-founder Appolinaire Djikeng, director-general of the Kenya-based International Livestock Research Institute.

“Our resilience in food systems relies on leveraging our rich biodiversity, and AfricaBP is at the forefront of this endeavour,” he added.

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This week: an anonymous donation, Canada-Morocco partnerships, and a new electromagnetics lab

In depth: Brain research data from Africa needs to be safeguarded amid a global rise in technologies that target the brain, ethicists based in South Africa and the United States have said.

Full story: ‘Urgent need’ to review African brain research ethics

Also this week from Research Professional News

South Africa hoists first SKA dish into place—“Significant moment” for project as huge radio telescope begins to take shape

New UCT vice-chancellor to start earlier than planned—Mosa Moshabela will assume leadership of top South African research university in August

ANC’s Tebogo Letsie to chair higher education committee—Letsie has prior experience of the brief but has never served as committee chair

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Stellenbosch welcomes anonymous donation

Stellenbosch University in South Africa has received R50 million from an anonymous donor who bequeathed the sum in their last will and testament. The money is earmarked for bursaries that will support financially disadvantaged students in theology or music. The university expects to be able to award bursaries from 2025, it said in a statement on 8 July.

Canadian and Moroccan universities partner up

The University of Manitoba in Canada has signed research partnership agreements with four Moroccan universities. The tie-ups target shared priorities in green energy and sustainable agriculture. “These agreements represent a commitment to the development of mutually beneficial academic programmes, knowledge exchange, and the coordination of faculty and student mobility for research and teaching purposes,” Manitoba said in a statement on 8 July.

Rhodes opens electromagnetics lab

Rhodes University in Makhanda, South Africa, opened a new electromagnetics innovation laboratory last week. The lab is backed by several organisations, including the National Research Foundation, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and Stellenbosch University. It will study the electromagnetic compatibility of new technologies such as mobile internet, drones and artificial intelligence, Rhodes University said in a statement.

The post Africa news roundup: 5-11 July appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: Ntusi takes up post, Steenhuisen welcomed and Gray wins Oppenheimer award

In depth: When South African president Cyril Ramaphosa announced he would split the ministerial portfolio of higher education, science and innovation in two when unveiling his cabinet on 30 June, many wondered: why that one?

Full story: Analysis: Science and HE offered Ramaphosa an ‘easy split’

Also this week from Research Professional News

Ramaphosa splits HE and science again ‘to make room for coalition’—Cabinet newcomer Nobuhle Nkabane given higher education portfolio, while Blade Nzimande keeps science

Who is South Africa’s new higher education minister?—University sector welcomes appointment of cabinet newcomer Nobuhle Nkabane

Costly and slow lab procurement ‘undermines’ African research—Slashed import duties, joint bargaining and direct purchasing could address problems identified by survey

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

New SAMRC president takes up post

Ntobeko Ntusi took up his post as president of the South African Medical Research Council on 1 July, succeeding Glenda Gray who has spent 10 years in the role. Ntusi, a cardiologist, moves to the council after heading up medicine at the University of Cape Town. “[Ntusi’s] extensive experience, expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we advance health research and improve health outcomes for all South Africans,” said Johnny Mahlangu, SAMRC chair, in a statement.

ARC welcomes Steenhuisen as minister

South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council has welcomed the appointment of Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen to serve as minister of agriculture in the country’s newly minted Government of National Unity. “The ARC council, management and all employees eagerly anticipate collaborating with minister Steenhuisen to promote sustainable agricultural practices, provide robust support for smallholder farmers, and bolster efforts towards enhancing food security and ensuring access to nutritious food across South Africa,” it said in a 1 July statement. Until last month’s election Steenhuisen served as the leader of the opposition in parliament.

Stellenbosch immunologist wins Oppenheimer award

Clive Gray, an immunologist who studies how the HIV status of mothers can affect their children’s health, has won the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award. The award comes with a R2.5 million research grant. “We need to know how diseases such as HIV in pregnant women interferes with the growth of the placenta and how this, in turn, impacts adverse birth outcomes and disrupts maternal health,” Gray said in a statement. “These adverse outcomes have a devastating effect on South African society, where impaired child and maternal health is linked with deprived early childhood development.”

AAS gives dates for general assembly

The African Academy of Sciences will hold its 15th general assembly and scientific conference from 8 -11 December in Abuja, Nigeria. The event will be held under the theme ‘empowering and advancing Africa’s scientific enterprise’. For more information, email aasga2024team@aassciences.africa.

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Slashed import duties, joint bargaining and direct purchasing could address problems identified by survey

African researchers procuring lab supplies and equipment often spend more on shipping fees than on products and have to wait up to six months for delivery, a survey of 130 researchers across 20 African countries has shown.

The survey findings were shared in a 2 July commentary published in Nature magazine by representatives from the Nairobi-based Science for Africa Foundation, Kenyan biomedical consultancy Lablogics and the University of Birmingham in the UK.

Indirect access to manufacturers, inefficient institutional support for research and poor logistics infrastructure were the key problems identified by the survey. Life science research budgets are particularly strained by the high costs associated with transporting fragile or hazardous supplies across the continent, the commentary states.

“When combined with government-imposed import duties, these logistical hurdles can lead to shipping fees that cost more than the actual supplies,” the authors write, adding that purchasing in foreign currencies with fluctuating exchange rates exacerbates the problem.

Long delays

Researchers in Africa commonly have to wait three to six months to get supplies delivered due to logistical delays and a lack of infrastructure, the commentary authors write.

“These challenges to obtain basic consumables and equipment—including chemicals, cell-culture reagents, molecular biology reagents, diagnostic kits, glassware, thermocyclers and incubators—undermine efforts to train and retain researchers in Africa, and to cultivate self-reliant research ecosystems that can match the global pace of innovation,” they write.

Slow procurement processes also hamper local responses to health challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and delay scientific results that could secure further health funding, the authors add. They urge manufacturers to allow direct procurement from African researchers at competitive prices, and to review their African distribution networks.

“African governments should also provide import tax exemptions on scientific supplies for education and research purposes, as is the norm in countries such as the United Kingdom and others in the European Union,” they write.

Furthermore, institutions in the same African region that share interests can negotiate joint purchasing agreements, the authors add. This will allow them to negotiate better prices, share lessons, and reduce shipping and customs costs. Better policies and skilled staff to handle procurement will also help African institutions.

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This week: a bioinformatics training boost and a Germany-South Africa public engagement exchange

In depth: The Agricultural Research Council in South Africa says it is “deeply concerned” about illegal occupation on land that it owns.

Full story: Land invasions endanger research farms in South Africa

Also this week from Research Professional News

US$2bn boost for African health products manufacturing—Head of Africa’s disease control body says deal will make continent more self-reliant

Stellenbosch deliberates fate of ‘racist’ student residence—University mulls closure of accommodation block where white supremacy symbols were found this year

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Public engagement exchange with Germany

The Museum for Natural History in Berlin, Germany, has launched a “public engagement exchange” that will involve 40 researchers from Germany and South Africa deepening their public engagement skills. The programme is being run in collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology. According to the museum, the initiative “will strengthen the impact of research and public engagement in and between Germany and South Africa by fostering skills, leadership and innovation in engagement practice”.

Fogarty grant to bolster African bioinformatics

Researchers at Stellenbosch University in South Africa have won a grant worth 28 million rand (US$1.5m) from the Fogarty International Center in the US to bolster bioinformatics training in Africa. The grant will support the African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Training Programme, which will be co-led by the university’s Marlo Möller and Samantha Sampson. “The training programme will address the dearth of trained bioinformaticians with expertise in TB and other infectious diseases,” Möller said on 26 June.

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Head of Africa’s disease control body says deal will make continent more self-reliant

The Egypt-based African Export-Import Bank has committed US$2 billion towards helping Africa manufacture its own health products.

Afreximbank announced its support for the Africa Health Security Investment Plan on 20 June on the sidelines of the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation held in Paris, France.

The initiative, which is also supported by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), intends to dovetail with the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA).

AVMA, also launched at the Paris meeting, is a funding instrument designed to pump up to US$1bn into African vaccine manufacturing over the next 10 years.

African ‘self-reliance’

The Africa Health Security Investment Plan is built on three pillars: technical assistance and advisory services, an investment project pipeline, and regulatory and normative support.

Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC’s director-general, called the signing of the financing deal “a big day” for African health product manufacturing.

He said that the continent welcomes these major investment announcements that will change the face of health products manufacturing in Africa for years to come.

“Protecting our future means investing in our ability to achieve self-reliance on all health countermeasures,” he said.

European support

The European Union and its member states have announced that they will contribute over US$800 million, including close to US$233m from the EU’s own budget, to the AVMA launched in Paris.

According to an EU statement, the AVMA is expected to purchase more than 800 million doses produced in Africa over the next decade.

The initiative has the potential to improve African pandemic and outbreak preparedness and response, and support global health security, the EU said.

“The initiative will diversify the set of global vaccine suppliers with a target of at least four African vaccine manufacturers sustainably entering the market,” the statement said.

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This week: an AI strategy, Africa-Europe research clusters and a call for R&D capacity building

In depth: The International Health Economics Association has changed the venue of its 2025 congress from Canada to Bali, in Indonesia, to avoid restrictive visa policies hindering attendance from the global south.

Full story: Health conference moved from Canada to Bali over visa concerns

Also this week from Research Professional News

Analysis: Who will be South Africa’s next science minister?—As president Cyril Ramaphosa negotiates his coalition cabinet, the job could move outside his party

South Africa backs Russian proposal for Brics space council—Details are sparse, but council would build on existing cross-border space collaborations

Africa ‘could lead in artificial intelligence’, say experts—However, continent needs to prioritise AI education and governance to achieve this, report says

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

African ministers adopt AI strategy

African information and telecommunications ministers have adopted a continental artificial intelligence strategy as well as a “digital compact” to drive inclusive development. The strategy “provides guidance to African countries to harness AI to meet Africa’s development aspirations and the wellbeing of its people, while promoting ethical use, minimising potential risks and leveraging opportunities”, the African Union said on 17 June. The compact, meanwhile, articulates a “common vision” for the continent to harness digital technologies to foster development, economic growth and wellbeing.

Africa-Europe initiative celebrates first anniversary

The Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence initiative celebrated its first anniversary this week by launching a new logo. The initiative will see researchers from both continents collaborate through 20 clusters, a number of which are already operational, with most making “ambitious bids” for third-party funding, according to a statement on 20 June. The initiative was established jointly by the African Research Universities Alliance and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.

Infectious disease society calls for R&D capacity building

The International Society for Infectious Diseases, an organisation based in the US, has called for greater investment in capacity building for infectious disease research in low- and middle-income countries. The call comes in a list of global health priorities announced by the society on 19 July, developed ahead of its congress to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, in December. “Our health priorities provide a clear guide for health and community leaders to focus their resources, while the congress serves as a space for us to tackle these challenges together,” society president Paul Tambyah said in a statement.

The post Africa news roundup: 14-20 June appeared first on Research Professional News.

However, continent needs to prioritise AI education and governance to achieve this, report says

Africa could be at the forefront of artificial intelligence globally due to its youthful, multicultural workforce, but only if AI education and governance are prioritised, a report argues.

The June 2024 report, titled “AI and the Future of Work in Africa”, was compiled by academic and industry experts representing tech giant Microsoft, the University of Pretoria, the African Union Development Agency, African AI startup Lelapa AI and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

“Africa’s rapidly growing population and vibrant tech ecosystem provide significant opportunities, particularly through the emergence of startups, tech hubs and collaborative projects that drive digital transformation,” the report states.

“By proactively addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities, Africa can leverage AI to drive economic growth, empower its workforce, and become a leader in socially responsible AI development,” it says.

‘Africa-centric’ AI

However, the report goes on to say that the continent must cultivate its own talent in AI research, innovation and design, as well as AI policy and governance for Africa to significantly contribute to the AI economy.

The report urges investments to target “Africa-centric” data and platforms to ensure that new AI tools complement human skills, rather than replace them.

AI tools that are not tailored to unique African socio-economic contexts could result in a “potential dystopian future”, it says, where such technologies would exacerbate inequalities rather than levelling them up.

Generative AI, such as chatbots like ChatGPT, need to be pursued in an equitable way that considers not just what data is collected and curated, and by whom, but also how it is used, the report says.

“The methods and algorithms created in building models to reflect such concerns are likely to be globally relevant and beneficial,” it adds.

Inclusive policies

The report—dubbed a white paper by its authors—argues that technical skills in areas such as computer science, machine learning and engineering must be consolidated.

Legal, ethical, social and policy perspectives are needed to “build AI which enhances human work and creativity”, it adds.

National and regional AI policies must also be crafted to ensure inclusive education and worker protections, it says.

“The involvement of youth, community leaders, academics and business leaders is critical in developing inclusive and relevant AI policies for Africa,” it says.

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Location sends wrong message about African ownership, says health advocacy group

The health advocacy group Amref Health Africa has criticised the decision to launch a funding mechanism for African vaccine manufacturing in Paris rather than on the African continent.

The decision to launch the US$1 billion African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) in the French capital on 20 June “misses a crucial opportunity” to strengthen continental ownership of the initiative and to highlight African innovation, the Kenya-based organisation said on 7 June.

“By hosting the launch in Africa, organisers would reinforce the continent’s ownership, facilitate greater local engagement, showcase capacity and foster trust and collaboration,” it said.

‘Crucial’ agenda

The AVMA is a funding instrument backed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, designed to pump up to US$1bn into African vaccine manufacturing over the next 10 years.

It is part of a push for the continent to produce its own vaccines after it found itself last in the queue for those developed for Covid-19.

The AVMA launch is set for Gavi’s 2024 funding replenishment event, which is an opportunity for governments, charities and the private sector to commit money to the public-private partnership’s programmes.

On 9 June, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said that along with the African Union and member states, it “fully supports” the gathering in Paris. It described its support as a “show of commitment”, pointing out that Africa is “the primary beneficiary of Gavi funds”.

“This 2024 replenishment meeting will be unique, highlighting Gavi’s support for Africa’s crucial agenda of local manufacturing,” it added.

‘Popular launch’ in Africa

Amref Health Africa contends that the primary launch should be located in Africa for accessibility and “greater local engagement”, and to “encourage robust discussions and collaborations directly relevant to Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities”.

“This would transform the narrative towards African innovation and capability in addressing public health challenges, promoting social accountability and inspiring pride among African communities,” it says.

The group also says that local vaccine research and production efforts, such as those based at South Africa’s BioVac and Senegal’s Pasteur Institute, could have used the opportunity to demonstrate capabilities and to build investor confidence.

The Africa CDC said that a “popular launch” of the AVMA will “occur on African soil in the coming weeks” to enable Gavi, African leaders and other stakeholders “to reflect on and celebrate the journey toward Africa’s self-reliance in manufacturing vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics”.

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This week: development bank proposes African science institute and UCT hosts centre for bird-human interactions

In depth: The chief executive officer of Universities South Africa has urged the country’s incoming government to reverse funding cuts to universities and to fix the country’s student aid funding system.

Full story: South Africa’s new government urged to invest in universities

Also this week from Research Professional News

Paris launch of US$1bn Africa vaccine fund draws criticism—Location sends wrong message about African ownership, says health advocacy group

South Africa’s election result hammers science committee—More than half of committee’s MPs, including former chair, lose seats in power-shifting ballot

South Africa steps up bird flu monitoring in humans—Move comes amid heightened concern around virus following cases among US dairy workers

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

African Development Bank proposes science institute

The African Development Bank based in Tunisia is proposing to establish an African Renaissance Institute for Science and Technology. The institute would “train a critical mass of Africans and help them spearhead the continent’s economic transformation”, the bank’s East Africa head of education and skills, Hendrina Chalwe Doroba, said in a statement on 11 June. Countries that are willing to participate in the project and host the institute will be identified, the bank said.

New Cape Town centre to study human-bird interactions

The University of Cape Town in South Africa is hosting a new centre, funded for five years, to investigate behavioural interactions between birds and humans. The Max Planck–University of Cape Town Centre for Behaviour and Coevolution is a partnership between UCT’s FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Germany. “Africa offers us unique opportunities to ask and answer questions that cannot be addressed in research conducted in the Global North,” said Claire Spottiswoode from UCT, who will be one of the centre’s two directors.

The post Africa news roundup: 7-13 June appeared first on Research Professional News.

Africa CDC and Wellcome Trust launch programme to train leaders in evidence-based psychiatry

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has announced a new leadership programme supported by the Wellcome Trust to update Africa’s “outdated” mental health policies.

They unveiled their African Mental Health Programme to African health ministers and the World Health Organization at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva last week, according to a statement published by Africa CDC on 30 May.

“Mental health policies in Africa are mostly outdated and poorly implemented,” said Jean Kaseya, director-general of Africa CDC, in the statement.

Moreover, the Africa CDC says, the continent’s mental health services are under-resourced. Less than two per cent of health budgets go towards mental health, and of that allocation, nine-tenths goes to psychiatric institutions in capital cities. There are also only 1.4 mental health workers per 100,000 people in Africa, the agency says.

Cohort of leaders

Wellcome Trust chief executive John Arne Røttingen said the programme will address these resource shortages by creating a “cohort of leaders who understand and can advocate for context-specific, evidence-based approaches” in their countries.

He added that scientists must work “hand-in-hand” with policymakers to ensure that mental health research tackles the right questions, and that scientific findings are put into action.

Africa CDC will be working with a number of organisations to develop and implement the programme’s curriculum. One of them is Netherlands-based charity CBM Global, which will create links between African civil society and governments to support mental health.

In his address to the programme launch, CBM Global’s executive director, David Bainbridge, underscored the need to take a “human rights approach” to mental health.

“We’re particularly concerned about the experiences of stigma, social exclusion and abuse experienced by affected people, who are often denied access to basic rights like family life, livelihoods, even personal autonomy and freedom,” he said.

The post Africa’s ‘outdated’ mental health policies in line for reform appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: Pretoria's new VC, a Gaza statement and Wits welcomes short course head

In depth: South Africa’s immediate past science minister, Bonginkosi ‘Blade’ Nzimande, has squeaked through to secure a seat in parliament after the African National Congress’s backslide in the country’s elections.

Full story: Former science minister set to retain seat in parliament

Also this week from Research Professional News

South African scientists battle to track election rumours—Limited access to social media data makes studying misinformation flows “almost impossible

Africa’s ‘outdated’ mental health policies in line for reform—Africa CDC and Wellcome Trust launch programme to train leaders in evidence-based psychiatry

Networking ‘pre-grants’ could make partnerships more equal—Global integrity conference hears calls for more support in design phase of international collaborations

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Francois Petersen named new Pretoria vice-chancellor

The University of Pretoria in South Africa has named Francois Peterson as its next vice-chancellor. Peterson is currently the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of the Free State. He will join Pretoria on 1 October. “We are confident that under his stewardship, we will continue to uphold our tradition of academic distinction while forging new paths in research, teaching, and community engagement,” said Kuseni Dlamini, chair of the university’s council, in a statement on 3 June.

South African HE council issues statement on Gaza

South Africa’s Council on Higher Education says it is “deeply concerned” about the destruction of higher education institutions in Gaza. In a 31 May statement the council denounced Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks in October last year as “disproportionate, excessive and in violation of humanitarian and international law”. It called on the international community to do more to prevent and resolve armed conflicts around the world.

New leader for Wits short course centre

The University of the Witwatersrand has welcomed Natalie Zimmerman as the new chief executive for WitsPlus, its business-focused centre for part-time studies and short courses. Zimmerman took up the role on 1 June. She joins the centre after heading up the South African Institute of Financial Markets.

African academy joins taskforce on 10-year science plan

The African Academy of Science has joined a taskforce drawing up a new 10-year science plan for Africa. The academy’s executive director Peggy Oti-Boateng and head of science, technology and innovation partnerships Nkem Khumbah met with the taskforce in Ethiopia last week. The plan aims to guide African investments in science, technology and innovation until 2034.

The post Africa news roundup: 31 May to 6 June appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: a Rwanda vaccine boost, Future Earth nodes and an outbreak prevention partnership

In depth: A boom in African genomics and other ‘omics’ research has resulted in a flood of data that needs managing, a conference heard this week.

Full story: Africa’s ‘omics’ boom sparks ‘huge need’ for data analysis

Also this week from Research Professional News

African microbiome research ‘lacks local leadership’—Continent’s own scientists are being excluded from study design and execution, academics say

Africa urged to focus on ‘real-world use’ in science policy—“Innovation should be placed at the beginning,” says UK-based professor

African research alliance ‘thrilled’ with new UCT vice-chancellor—Mosa Moshabela will assume top role at South African university following period of leadership turmoil

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Kigali vaccine facility gets funding boost

The Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer BioNTech has received US$145 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to scale up its mRNA vaccine R&D and manufacturing capabilities in Rwanda. Most of the funds will build mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability at the company’s Kigali plant, inaugurated in December. Some of this capacity will be earmarked for Africa-based third-party R&D projects looking to develop novel mRNA vaccine candidates. The investment “in BioNTech’s forward-looking efforts in Africa will boost regional capacity for end-to-end research, development and rapid manufacturing of mRNA vaccines”, said coalition chief executive Richard Hatchett in a statement.

Future Earth nodes named

The African hub of Future Earth, a global network for sustainability science, has announced three regional nodes for the continent. The nodes will coordinate sustainability research in their regions, supported by academic partners and funders. Two will be based at Helwan University in Egypt and Maseno University in Kenya, while the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and Togo’s University of Lomé will jointly host the third. The nodes were selected from 25 applications.

Africa CDC deepens outbreak prevention partnership

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has signed an agreement to deepen its outbreak prevention, preparedness and response partnership with the global Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The agreement will see the pair collaborate on developing Africa’s vaccine research, development and manufacturing capacity. It will also boost Africa’s clinical trials infrastructure and support collaboration on vaccine safety and pathogen tracking, the Africa CDC said.

Deadline for training and advocacy post extended

The African Research Universities Alliance has extended the deadline for applications for its newly created post of director of training and research advocacy. The new deadline is 15 June. Candidates need to have a PhD and be a professor at a member university, with at least five years’ academic leadership experience.

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Continent’s own scientists are being excluded from study design and execution, academics say

Microbiome studies targeting the African continent lack local scientific leadership and input, African scientists have argued in an article for Nature Medicine.

Despite a growing interest in African microbiomes, local researchers have played only tangential roles in study design and execution, one of the authors told Research Professional News this week.

Stellenbosch University microbiologist Thulani Makhalanyane said that studies focused on African microbiomes tend to be led by researchers in the global north, with teams mostly made up of scientists from the US or Europe.

“This has some clear implications,” he said. “For example, because these authors typically do not understand the dietary habits of the people they study, they tend to make flawed inferences and speculations.”

To right this imbalance, Makhalanyane and his co-authors proposed a framework in their article, published on 23 May, for establishing more equitable research partnerships between African and international researchers.

A lack of clear data-handling policies is also limiting the expansion of microbiome research on the African continent, he told Research Professional News. 

Deep insights

Microbiome research provides deep insights into the relationships between the microorganisms living in and on the human body and our overall health.

By revealing how microbial imbalances contribute to illness, such research can change the management of a range of diseases, from gastrointestinal disorders to mental health conditions.

However, unlike in the US and Europe, most jurisdictions in Africa have no legislation on microbiome sample acquisition and data handling, Makhalanyane said. Nor do they have data repositories for the storage and analysis of microbiome data.

He and his co-authors argue that Africa needs a conducive regulatory environment for microbiome research. The continent should invest in research infrastructure, education and support for local scientists, they wrote.

Clear science plans that outline priorities for African microbiome research are also needed, says Makhalanyane. “These plans, together with policies encouraging microbiome capacity development, will help to create a conducive environment.”

The headline of this article was modified on 31 May. 

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Africa Bioinformatics Institute in the pipeline to manage flood of data, Cape Town meeting hears

A boom in African genomics and other ‘omics’ research has resulted in a flood of data that needs managing, a conference heard this week.

This has sparked proposals for initiatives for data analysis infrastructure that will extend the benefit of the data beyond the lifetimes of the projects that collected them.

Federated network

One such initiative is the Africa Bioinformatics Institute, which aims to create a federated network of computational biologists and data scientists across Africa.

The ABI would build on the H3ABioNet, a pan-African bioinformatics network created under the Human Heredity and Health in Africa programme that supported genomics research in Africa from 2012 to 2022.

H3ABioNet runs out of funding in five weeks’ time, H3ABioNet leader Nicola Mulder told the conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 27 to 28 May to launch a plan for an African Population Cohort Consortium.

The APCC aims to network dozens of African population cohorts that follow millions of Africans, strengthening them and putting their data to use in addressing continental health challenges.

The ABI would support projects like the APCC with big data skills, said Mulder, who heads up the computational biology division at the University of Cape Town.

“The idea is that we build it and people can leverage it for their individual projects,” she said.

However, with funding yet to be secured for the ABI, it remains an “ideal, a dream we want to achieve”, Mulder told the gathering, which brought together representatives from 45 population research cohorts from 15 African countries.

African biobank

Another proposal being developed as part of the as-yet unfunded APCC is for a continental biobank to help researchers conduct studies that stretch across Africa’s diverse populations.

Africans are the world’s most genetically varied people, geneticist Michele Ramsay told the conference. Yet their genomes are also the least studied.

The APCC’s biobank project would collect biological samples from 10,000 individuals from 25 different African population research cohorts spanning 15 African countries.

The biobank would help African researchers better understand health profiles across the continent, help calculate the prevalence of diseases—which poses problems at the moment—and provide a baseline for longitudinal studies.

However, the project throws up many challenges in terms of data and sample control, given the continent’s varied biobanking and data protection laws, the meeting heard.

“I think it’s doable,” said Ramsay, who is based at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. The result would be an “amazing and comprehensive database” unlike anything that exists in Africa at the moment, she added.

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Initiative seeks to link studies tracking health of millions of Africans over their lifetime

An initiative to link up studies tracking the health of millions of Africans to better understand and address the continent’s health challenges is taking shape.

Next week, researchers will gather in Cape Town, South Africa, to launch the blueprint of the African Population Cohort Consortium. The APCC aims to link up health study cohorts to enable research across the demographic diversity of Africa. 

“Researchers could not do this type of work at scale and across the diversity Africa is offering before,” says Kobus Herbst, director of the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network and one of the initiative’s architects.

Joined-up thinking

Herbst and colleagues have been planning the APCC ever since a 2020 meeting in Uganda saw African scientists and research funders agree on the need for a continental population data research platform.

Africa is home to several dozen health studies that follow large numbers of people over long periods, but they are often limited in their scope. Some focus on a specific geographical area, while others monitor specific health challenges such as cardiovascular disease, mother and child health or HIV/Aids.

The APCC’s aim is to unite more than 80 such cohorts, giving research projects access to lifelong health data gathered from millions of Africans in dozens of countries. It will also strengthen participating demographic survey projects and harmonise data collection to make it easier to combine and share data. 

The APCC plans three research programmes. The first will study the factors that determine health and disease across different life stages and generations across Africa; the second will focus on the impact of climate change on health; and the third will leverage population health studies to improve healthcare systems.

Since the programmes will collect biological samples, the consortium will create a biobank network to assist with processing and data sharing.

Funding need

The planning stage of the APCC has been backed by the Wellcome Trust, a UK-based biomedical research charity, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK government. The initiative still needs to secure long-term funding.

At least 10 funders will attend next week’s conference, which will take place on 27 and 28 May.

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This week: HIV and newborns, neonatal sepsis and a Gates Foundation appointment

In depth: An initiative to link up studies tracking the health of millions of Africans to better understand and address the continent’s health challenges is taking shape.

Full story: African population health research network takes shape

Also this week from Research Professional News

What South Africa’s political parties say about research—These are the science and university funding policies of the parties contesting next week’s election

South Africa inaugurates ‘first of its kind’ nuclear medicine hub—International Atomic Energy Agency pledges support for Pretoria-based facility for cancer treatment and research

Kenya’s president renews US medical research partnership—William Ruto highlights need to address emerging public health threats during state visit

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Stellenbosch immunologist wins US research grant

Clive Gray, an immunologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, has won a 28 million rand (US$1.5m) grant from the US National Institutes of Health to study the health of newborns with HIV-positive mothers. Gray will test hypotheses around why such children often have adverse health outcomes even if they themselves are not infected with HIV. The project will train postdoctoral researchers in South Africa, Benin, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda.

South Africa invests in neonatal sepsis research

The South African Medical Research Council has renewed its funding for the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership’s work on neonatal sepsis. The 6.4 million rand (US$350,000) in additional funding, announced on 23 May, will enable two South African sites to be included in a global clinical trial of antibiotic combinations for babies with sepsis: the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Johannesburg and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town. The trial will start in South Africa and Kenya before being expanded to other countries in 2025.

Gates Foundation appoints new diversity officer

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has appointed June Yoshinari Davis as its chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. Yoshinari Davis most recently served as the foundation’s director of strategy, planning and management, as well as chief of staff for its US programme. She succeeds Leslie Mays, who retires this month.

The post Africa news roundup: 17-23 May appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: Sweden’s aid cuts hit research, African physics funding and training for football executives

In depth: South Africa will implement new indigenous knowledge-protection laws by establishing a regulatory authority this year, according to government documents.

Full story: South Africa prepares to regulate indigenous knowledge

Also this week from Research Professional News

‘Emergency’ R&D funds released as Mpox surges in Congo—Europe-funded clinical trials partnership offers grants worth €5 million, with a two-week deadline

Rhodes appeals for donations to plug student funding gaps—Unpaid fees threaten funds for maintenance and research equipment, says finance head

Public health PhD overhaul needed to meet demand in Africa—Lancet policy brief highlights need for more doctoral leaders to address “critical shortage”

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Swedish development aid cuts hit research

A survey of nearly 200 development researchers and policy actors in Sweden has shown that the country’s deep cut to its aid budget last year, partly to fund relief efforts in Ukraine, has affected research deeply. Nearly half (48 per cent) of the researchers said they had changed their research focus to Global North priorities more likely to attract funding. Many respondents said the cuts threaten Sweden’s reputation as a research partner and funder in global development.

UK pre-announces African physics funding

The United Kingdom’s Science and Technology Facilities Council has made a pre-announcement of a £5 million funding opportunity for UK-African physics collaborations. The programme will open for applications on 9 July and targets climate, energy and fundamental physics. Lead applicants must be based in the UK, with co-leads based in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania or Uganda. An in-person workshop for applicants is scheduled in July in Nairobi, Kenya.

UCT to train African football executives

The University of Cape Town in South Africa has signed an agreement with the African football federation CAF to train the continent’s football executives in administrative skills. “The partnership with CAF is further testimony to UCT’s commitment to engaging in collaboration aimed at strengthening capacity and unleashing leadership potential on our continent,” said UCT’s interim vice-chancellor Daya Reddy in a statement.

The post Africa news roundup: 3-16 May appeared first on Research Professional News.

Lancet policy brief highlights need for more doctoral leaders to address “critical shortage”

Better accreditation, digital learning technologies and professional networks are needed to expand public health doctoral programmes in Africa, academics and public health experts have said.

There’s a “critical shortage” of public health researchers in Africa, authors based in Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, the United States, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Senegal write in a 9 May policy brief published in The Lancet Public Health.

Africa will need at least 12,500 epidemiologists by 2050 to contribute to global health security and practice, the authors write.

They call on ministries of education and health, as well as universities and the Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa, to “introduce and expand competency-based education and standard accreditation” to fill the gap.

Skills gap

The authors write that more doctoral and postdoctoral-level training programmes are needed to meet the demand, despite the fact that most African universities do offer medical training and master of public health programmes.

“Public health programmes should be grounded in core competencies to produce leaders capable of preventing and addressing future health challenges,” the authors write.

They also urge the public health sector in Africa to “strengthen links between academic, practice and research partners”, and to track and share successes and lessons.

Universities need to upgrade digital learning technologies, encourage cross-registration for business and policy courses, and increase investment in research and training infrastructure, they write.

“Substantial investment and commitment through equitable partnerships will be required to truly transform higher education institutions towards advancing public health research and practice in Africa,” the authors say.

Their study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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This week: Olusegun Obasanjo Prize nominations and a social housing portal

In depth: The body charged with certifying professional scientists in South Africa has admitted that it has struggled to meet an “unprecedented increase” in demand, leaving some applicants waiting years for registration.

Full story: Registration delays put science careers ‘on hold’ in South Africa

Also this week from Research Professional News

‘Urgent’ palaeoscience reforms delayed by budget cuts—South African museums, jobs and research efforts are under pressure, say senior academics

Africa needs balanced AI policies, meeting hears—Experts call for thoughtful regulation after African Union releases draft artificial intelligence roadmap

Research council denounces rumours it is ‘buying blood’—Misleading information about South African HIV study threatens staff safety, council says

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Call for Obasanjo nominations

The African Academy of Sciences is calling for nominations for its Olusegun Obasanjo Prize, named after Nigeria’s former president. Nominations for the prize, which comes with a US$5,000 cash award, a medal and a certificate, close on 3 May and are sought in four fields: biotechnology, energy, information and communication technology and material science. The prize “rewards and honours African scientists who have made outstanding contributions in scientific discovery or technological innovation”.

Research council launches housing portal

South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council has launched a social housing portal. The portal, launched on 30 April, provides open-access data and information about social housing in South Africa. It is a collaborative effort between the public, private and civil society sectors. “We want to improve public understanding and analysis of the sector, foster more robust debates about its challenges and generate new insights to improve policy and practice,” said project leader Andreas Scheba.

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Experts call for thoughtful regulation after African Union releases draft artificial intelligence roadmap

Africans must ensure their data are represented and protected in the global artificial intelligence boom—and the continent must avoid becoming a “cheap” data market or mere AI consumer, a conference has heard.

The call for action was issued during a session on the implications of data and AI regulations for Africa, held at the Africa-Europe Science Collaboration and Innovation Platform Forum in Brussels last week. It followed the release of a draft African white paper and roadmap on AI regulation in February.

Vukosi Marivate, a data scientist at the University of Pretoria, told the session that governments must think about data licensing in the context of local capacity building and fair use that will allow for academic research. Data sources and African heritage must be protected, and open-data policies are needed to ensure big technology companies do not benefit from data at the expense of local researchers, he said.

The South African Medical Research Council’s Rizwana Mia echoed the call for balanced regulation, using the example of AI algorithms that mine genomic data for drug discovery. She said too much regulation could hamper medical research on big datasets, but too little regulation might leave such personal health datasets unprotected.

Marivate also spoke about creating value locally using AI. “We don’t want to just be a data market and we also need to protect data workers,” he said, adding that data annotation jobs are moving to Africa from Asia due to rising wages in the East and “looser” labour laws in Africa.

Feedback wanted

Marivate is one of the people behind the pan-African white paper and roadmap outlining policies for responsible AI uptake, published in February. The white paper was produced by the African Union’s development agency Auda-Nepad, together with African grassroots agencies and the International Development Research Centre, a Canadian funder.

On 19 April, the IDRC urged African policymakers, funders, academia and technology firms to comment on the white paper. “The white paper highlights the potential of AI to empower Africans to solve their own development challenges while also acknowledging AI risks and infrastructure limitations on the continent,” the funder wrote.

“The strategy is meant to coordinate an overall approach, as well as serve as a policy template for African countries that need support to develop their own approaches,” it added.

Continental strategy

The African Union Commission also hosted online consultations on the drafting of a continental strategy on AI from 19 to 24 April, with support from Unesco, the UN’s science and education agency. According to the African Union’s website, the consultations covered socioeconomic AI opportunities in Africa, mitigating risks to Africa and fostering intra-African coordination and international cooperation.

Research Professional News could not establish whether or how these consultations were related to the Auda-Nepad white paper or to the forum discussions in Brussels.

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Ingsa president Rémi Quirion speaks to RPN ahead of network’s 10th anniversary conference in Rwanda

The International Network for Government Science Advice will meet in Rwanda this week to celebrate its first decade, and to look to the future.

The global conference is the body’s fifth (sixth if you include a virtual conference held in 2020) and its first to be held in a Global South country.

Rwanda, which marked 30 years since its genocide in April this year, has a government that puts a lot of emphasis on science as a tool for national development. Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, and the education ministry were “very much involved” the last time Ingsa visited the country, says the organisation’s president, Rémi Quirion.

“We chose Rwanda because we organised a training school there a few years back and felt it would be nice to go back,” Quirion says.

Culture and language

The theme for the conference is ‘the transformation imperative’. Quirion says this refers to the need to broaden the definition of science advice and make space for different ways of doing things.

Ingsa was formed around science advice as practised in countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, Quirion says. But the organisation is working to break away from that. “While other parts of the world can learn from it, they can also bring their own culture and flavour to science advice and science diplomacy,” he says.

“If you come from a country with a different culture and language, what should you change from [that country’s] dominant way of doing things to be sure you deliver science advice effectively?” he asks.

Pilot project

One of the things that will be presented in Rwanda this week is the outcome of a pilot project run in Europe about the impact of culture and language of science advice.

The project is part of efforts to establish a European chapter of Ingsa, and has been exploring how language, culture and context affect science advice in Belgium, Norway, Poland and Switzerland.

Delegates will note there will be more diversity in the speakers at the conference compared with previously, Quirion notes, both in terms of geographical origin but also in terms of age.

“We’ll have well-known advisers, [including] Peter Gluckman from New Zealand, the founding president of Ingsa, but we will also profile and feature the younger generation.”

The next era

Ten years on, there’s more awareness around the world of the importance of science advice, says Quirion.

The Covid-19 pandemic helped raise this awareness, he says. “The pandemic opened the eyes of many governments, making them realise they needed a system.”

As a result, Ingsa’s membership has grown to more than 6,000 members in over 100 countries, he says. But there is much work still to be done, especially at the level of local government, says Quirion.

“Let’s say a city is facing an urgent flooding or fire crisis. You have to give concrete, on-the-ground advice to the leaders of those cities. That’s something we want to find ways to develop over the next few years, including some training programmes in science advice for local governments.”

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This week: SDG data, a collaboration ban, disease surveillance schemes and a call for papers

In depth: South Africa’s National Research Foundation has confirmed that “challenges” with its new online submission system have resulted in funding delays for some grantholders.

Full story: Grant delays frustrate South African scientists

Also this week from Research Professional News

Scientists plan observatory to assess Sudan war damage—Initiative aims to use satellite data for damage inventories, risk maps and environmental impact reports

Southern African scientists call for urgent action as drought bites—Crop failures and livestock deaths reported as extreme El Niño summer extends into April

Here is the rest of the Africa news this week…

Data scarcity hinders Sustainable Development Goal tracking

A lack of data is hampering the ability to track Africa’s progress in Sustainable Development Goals, a report has found. Published on 21 April, the report found that Africa was making progress on 12 of 17 of the SDGs, but that the continent was not on track to meet them by the 2030 deadline. “None of the subregions is on track on achieving the SDGs goals. There is also a general issue of lack of data in tracking the progress in Africa,” says the report, which was produced by a team of experts convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

UCT bans collaboration with Israeli military

The University of Cape Town senate has passed a resolution banning the institution’s academic staff from collaborating with researchers affiliated with the Israeli military. The resolution was passed on 19 April, along with another condemning the killing of teachers and university staff in Gaza and calling for an immediate ceasefire. The university said the resolution states that “no UCT academic may enter into relations, or continue relations with, any research group and/or network whose author affiliations are with the Israeli Defence Force, and/or the broader Israeli military establishment”.

Disease centre launches tracking schemes

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has launched two disease-tracking projects. The Integrated Genomic Surveillance and Data Sharing Platform and Integrated Genomic Surveillance for Outbreak Detection initiatives, established on 24 April, will assist Africa CDC member states to detect outbreaks and resistance, and share data. The initiatives are collaborations with the European Commission.

South African journal calls for service delivery papers

The South African Journal of Science is calling for proposals for a series of “evidence-based and provocative commentaries on service delivery” that will shape discussion in the field. The commentaries should be 2,000-3,000 words and cover any aspect of scientific thinking around service delivery. The deadline for submissions is 20 May.

The post Africa news roundup: 19-25 April appeared first on Research Professional News.

Crop failures and livestock deaths reported as extreme El Niño summer extends into April

Researchers and agricultural policy experts in southern Africa have said that governments, donors and international actors must immediately take steps to “save lives and avoid further catastrophes” as one of the most severe El Niño summer droughts on record continues to grip the region.

A “record-breaking dry spell” lasting more than 30 days is scorching Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, resulting in a “dire” situation, five organisations say in a joint statement published on 22 April.

“Livestock are dying at alarming rates due to a lack of water and vegetation,” they say, adding that “the movement of desperate people and animals is spreading diseases”. More than 9,000 cattle have died since October last year, according to the statement.

Hot and dry conditions

The organisations issuing the warning are the Agricultural Research Council, the Human Sciences Research Council and the National Agricultural Marketing Council, all South African, as well as the pan-African Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network and the humanitarian charity Care.

The ARC’s Johan Malherbe told Research Professional News that decision-makers and farmers in member states of the Southern African Development Community, an intergovernmental organisation, may have had a perception that the drought would not be so severe because the region received widespread rain during December and January and also had sufficient rain during previous El Niño summers.

“However, due to the hot and dry conditions that ensued from mid-January, and continuing into late March or even into April in some areas, the impacts were significant in the agricultural sector and perhaps some of the strongest impacts were due to the timing, extent and intensity of the dry period,” he said.

He called on the research community to improve seasonal forecasting, and he urged farmers to adopt climate-smart farming practices and drought-resistant indigenous crops. He also said the water sector should maintain its infrastructure and increase water storage capacities to cope with climate extremes.

Widespread impacts

In a separate statement on 22 April, South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research confirmed that the current El Niño event is the fourth strongest on record.

The CSIR referred to a report on the known impacts of El Niño issued by its Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science in March, which revealed that maize and soybean production had dropped by about 13 per cent and 23 per cent respectively from the previous season and that grain crops in Zambia and Zimbabwe had been hit hard.

In their joint statement, the five organisations warned that widespread crop failures were affecting Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Untapped strategies

Frank Tchuwa, a researcher at Malawi’s Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, confirmed to Research Professional News that his country has been “hit hard by prolonged dry spells”, with the southern and central regions most affected.

He said that researchers have been advising the government over several years to promote water-saving strategies such as rainwater harvesting and irrigation. They have also urged more access to technologies around weather prediction and precision farming.

Tchuwa said the government had been open to researchers’ calls. “However, while they are working on some of the less costly measures such as pushing for farm diversification and soil and water conservation practices, other strategies that require significant investments remain untapped,” he said.

The right policies and strategies at the national and local government levels are also still lacking, he added.

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Initiative aims to use satellite data for damage inventories, risk maps and environmental impact reports

Sudanese scientists are planning to establish an environmental observatory that will use satellite data to monitor war damage and help inform post-conflict resettlement and rebuilding efforts.

Plans for the Sudan War Environmental Consequences Observatory (Sweco) were announced by Nadir Hassanein, general director of the University of Khartoum Consulting Corporation, in a post on the social networking site LinkedIn on 10 April.

According to its website, the University of Khartoum Consulting Corporation is a private company that draws on more than 800 experts to provide consultancy services in fields including engineering, health and environmental science.

Once established, Sweco will allow journalists, scientists, researchers and engineers in Sudan to rapidly assess environmental and infrastructure damage, Hassanein writes in his post. Modern satellite imagery allows for regular, near real-time coverage of wide areas at a relatively low cost, he says.

Measuring damage

The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, two rival factions of the military government, have been at war across Sudan since April 2023.

This has caused damage to water infrastructure, power plants, oil and gas facilities, sewage facilities and agro-processing facilities, causing “multiple air pollution incidents and potentially serious contamination of ground and surface waters”, Hassanein writes.

Sweco will “monitor and record the character, magnitude and significance” of the damage in each sector, using high-resolution satellite data and information collected by volunteers working on the ground.

The observatory will also create damage inventories for other war impacts, including impacts on food security, education, healthcare and the climate agenda, he says.

Guide for rebuilding

Sweco’s data will inform environmental management plans to “restore and protect the environment, address social challenges and promote sustainable development in post-war contexts”, writes Hassanein.

He adds that the observatory will alert the public about health and safety threats and assist with information to resettle displaced populations once the conflict ends.

“Tailored, data-rich maps identifying the intersecting urban and climate risks are vital to understanding where the greatest threats [are] to the cities’ most vulnerable populations, and where to build infrastructure like sewers, clean water systems and drainage to help manage and sustain the new influx of people fleeing conflict,” he writes.

Hassanein’s note does not indicate where the funding for the observatory will come from or how it will obtain the satellite imagery it needs.

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