Transforming Research Breakthroughs into Lifesaving Solutions

Africa carries 25% of the world’s diseases burden but contributes to less than 2% to global R&D, account for just 1.3% of global research spending, produces 0.1% of all patents, and had approximately less than 20% skilled researchers per million people as compared to the Global North. Consequently, very few, if any, conventional drugs, vaccines, diagnostic kits, or medical devices have originated from the continent. This is largely due to the lack of infrastructure and equipment; lack of scientific and technical expertise, insufficient funding, limited human capacity development and professional growth. This is compounded by the difference of culture, policies across the continent and low or non-existent government, funding, or private investors for health in R&D

African scientists need an R&D eco system where they can refine and mature their research into products and services that address Africa’s health priorities.  To address this unmet need, AiBST in collaboration with Stanford University, organized a translational research bootcamp and conference in 2023. This event brought together 50 translational scientists from 13 African universities and research institutes for training and collaboration. From this initiative, SPARK Africa was established with the goal of building a local ecosystem of African scientists dedicated to directly addressing the continent's health challenges.