The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote joint research, foster innovation, and deliver evidence-based programmes, policy support, and capacity-building services to relevant stakeholders. Centring on engagement with academic institutions, policymakers, practitioners, and communities, this partnership is a commitment to transforming African-led research into impactful health policy and life-saving medical tools.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Samuel Kariuki, Continental Lead Africa and Eastern Africa Director, DNDi and Dr Joseph Gichuru, Deputy Executive Director and the Director of Operations, APHRC, alongside representatives from both organizations.

By combining DNDi’s capacity in drug development for neglected populations with APHRC’s deep-rooted expertise in population health and policy, the two organizations aim to set the stage for a more equitable ‘New Public Health Order’ in Africa.

‘This partnership is a powerful opportunity for both organizations to drive innovative solutions in research, capacity enhancement, data sharing for impact, and fundraising aimed at strengthening the R&D ecosystem,’ said DNDi’s Prof. Samuel Kariuki. 

The MoU also focuses on promoting communication and knowledge management opportunities between DNDi and APHRC,, as well as policy engagement. By pooling their institutional weight, both organizations aim to jointly secure resources for capacity-strengthening necessary to fuel long-term innovation. The partnership prioritizes the people behind the science and those it aims to serve.

‘It is evident there are avenues of collaboration especially in the shared countries of operation and thematic areas. Crucially, this partnership acknowledges the escalating climate crisis as a primary driver of future health instability,’ said APHRC’s Dr Joseph Gichuru.

Data is the ‘new oil’ of the medical world, but it must be handled with care. The MoU outlines both parties’ collaborative commitments to ethical, value-enhancing data-sharing activities, including:

• Statistical management for pan-African studies;
• Generation of high-quality evidence to inform population health; and
• Creation of a robust knowledge management system to preserve and share findings.

The future of African public health must be collaborative, data-driven, and, above all, people-centred. By uniting their missions, DNDi and APHRC aim to strengthen not only their own organizations, but the health ecosystem at large.

Photo credit: Stephen Wainaina, APHRC