Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Health Reporter
Zimbabwe is this week hosting the African union member states in-country health research and development prioritisation workshop, a gathering aimed at shaping Africa’s own research agenda to safeguard the continent’s health.
Running until Friday, the workshop brings together local experts, policymakers, and stakeholders under the leadership of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to define priority areas in health research that directly respond to the needs of Zimbabwe’s populations.
Similar capacity-building initiatives are being rolled out in all AU member states. The initiative comes as Africa, which is home to 20 percent of the world’s population and carries 25 percent of the global disease burden, continues to grapple with research agendas that are largely donor-driven.
At the end of the workshop, Zimbabwe and other participating nations are expected to have comprehensive lists of high, medium, and low priority diseases and conditions per thematic area.
These lists will form the basis of national research agendas, which will then feed into regional and continental frameworks.
Ultimately, the process is expected to create an impact-driven, African-owned health research system that not only supports the goals of Agenda 2063 but also addresses the unique challenges facing communities across the continent.
