In a rapidly shifting global landscape marked by increasing nationalism and shrinking international aid budgets, African countries face a necessary but currently invisible (and rarely discussed) imperative: to significantly boost investment in foundational scientific research capabilities, or face catastrophic devastation at the emergence of the next pandemic.
It sounds like scaremongering, but it is not. As wealthy donor countries begin to turn inward, prioritising domestic concerns and defence spending over global health security, African countries have no choice but to develop an increased self-reliance in research infrastructure, and pandemic response mechanisms to protect their populations from future pandemics.
The Changing Landscape of Global Aid
Recent developments highlight this troubling trend. The United Kingdom is reportedly planning substantial cuts to its international aid budget to increase military spending. According to The Guardian, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is considering redirecting funds from development assistance toward defense in response to geopolitical pressures tied to the war in Ukraine. This mirrors a broader pattern of several wealthy nations reducing commitments to global health initiatives while focusing on national security concerns and military spending.
‘Today, 300 million people worldwide are in humanitarian need, the highest levels we have ever seen. These people aren’t just statistics; they’re families like yours and mine facing unimaginable hardship. They’re children unable to attend school, parents unable to feed their families, and communities devastated by conflict and climate disasters.’
– Why Starmer’s cuts to UK aid budget will hurt both at home and abroad (Big Issue)
Simultaneously, the United States and other major donor countries have adopted increasingly nationalistic postures, with foreign aid often becoming a political bargaining chip rather than a humanitarian commitment. Whether you agree or disagree with this shift, one consequence is that it leaves African countries even more vulnerable than they were before, especially since most African countries still haven’t fully recovered from the effects of COVID19. And it is precisely when investment in research infrastructure is most needed, that they’ve had the rugs of aid pulled from under their feet.
- First USAID closes, then UK cuts aid: what a Western retreat from foreign aid could mean (Chatham House)
The Pandemic Preparedness Imperative
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed stark global inequities in scientific research capacity and vaccine access. While wealthy nations quickly developed and secured vaccines for their populations, many African countries were left waiting in line for donations or costly imports. Even the very idea of establishing COVAX was fought and not supported by several wealthy countries, causing further delays. The kerfuffle cost many lives and impacted economic stability which could have been preserved with stronger and better prepared domestic research and manufacturing capabilities.
As the International Development Research Centre notes, “Strengthening Africa’s vaccine research ecosystem is crucial for pandemic preparedness.” As things stand, less than 3% of worldwide clinical trials are conducted on the continent of Africa, which is extremely problematic for a continent with 1.5 billion people.
‘Africa’s vaccine manufacturing, distribution and promotion capacity is essential for a holistic and, sustainable COVID-19 vaccine rollout program.’
– Kubheka BZ, Kabala T. COVID-19 Vaccine donations: Blessings and curses for Africa. , Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy
Increased Foundational Research capacity is necessary. It would enable African nations to develop context-specific solutions for regional health challenges which African people face rather than waiting for external assistance that may arrive too late, that may have conditions attached, or that may not arrive at all. Increasing research capacity is not just an optional wish, it’s a necessity.
Economic and Social Benefits of Research Investment
Beyond pandemic preparedness, increased investment in foundational research offers substantial economic returns. According to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, “scaling up clinical research in Africa can benefit society and economy” through multiple pathways: creating high-skilled jobs, retaining scientific talent within the continent, and developing intellectual property that generates revenue. It will also preserve the much needed resources as fewer dollars would need to be externalized to buy medicines from abroad.
Furthermore, research institutions serve as anchors for biomedical innovation ecosystems, attracting private investment and fostering entrepreneurship. Countries like Rwanda and Senegal have demonstrated how strategic investments in scientific infrastructure can position nations as regional hubs for biomedical innovation. And so, such case studies need to be emulated a lot more widely.
The Path Forward: Strategic Priorities
Within the next few years, African governments would be best advised to prioritize several key areas to build resilient research ecosystems:
- Stable, long-term funding commitments for foundational research institutions, including monthly allocations from key internal organisations into a dedicated local research fund.
- Developing local Educational pipelines to develop scientific talent from secondary school through postdoctoral training.
- Regulatory frameworks that facilitate ethical research while protecting public interests.
- Greater investment in studying the efficacy of traditional remedies and the active compounds of indigenous plants and roots. This need not be an expensive bloated undertaking, as micro-labs can be established to undertake these exercises on a much smaller scale.
- Regional collaboration to share costs and maximize impact across African borders. Simply put, every 4 or 5 African countries near to each other should have a shared vaccine research facility, dedicated at studying emerging threats across the world, which could affect those countries.
The African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) provides a framework for such collaboration, but faces a number of challenges such as financial constraints, inadequate health infrastructure and cross border health threats.
As external aid becomes less reliable, African countries have no choice but to take ownership of the healthcare requirements of their citizens, and proactively work to establish functional systems that will protect them when the next disaster strikes.
The next pandemic is not a question of if, but when—and the time to prepare has always been now.
Sources:
- International Development Research Centre. “Preparing for the next pandemic: Strengthening Africa’s vaccine research ecosystem.”
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “How scaling up clinical research in Africa can benefit society and economy.”
- The Guardian. “Starmer planning big cuts to aid budget to boost defence spending, say sources.” February 25, 2025.
- Kubheka BZ, Kabala T. COVID-19 Vaccine donations: Blessings and curses for Africa. Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy. 2022;2:e2022001 https://joghep.scholasticahq.com/
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