Africa can solve its health challenges

by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AFRICA does not have to look beyond its borders for every answer to its health challenges, with much of the knowledge, expertise and data needed to improve outcomes already existing on the continent.

That is the view of North-West University (NWU) physiology professor Lebo Gafane-Matemane, who says Africa’s diversity, research expertise and young scholars provide a strong foundation for addressing its health challenges.

“We come from a place of plenty. We are the question and the answer,” said Gafane-Matemane, a member of the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) and the Medical Research Council Research Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease at NWU.

She said Africa’s diverse populations generated rich health data capable of supporting research both locally and globally.

Data on cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, infectious diseases and genetic variation could help researchers understand how diseases develop, identify risk factors and design prevention and treatment strategies responsive to diverse populations.

“We are also a continent with a vast wealth of intellectuals, especially young scholars and changemakers who are eager to use limited resources to make a lasting societal impact,” she said.

African researchers have already contributed significantly to global health, including work that has strengthened understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, alongside research into cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases.

However, funding pressures and changes in global health financing remain significant obstacles.

Gafane-Matemane said these constraints should not determine Africa’s ability to produce research that improves lives. Stronger partnerships, knowledge exchange, mentoring and resource sharing could help researchers achieve greater impact.

Cardiovascular health is one area requiring urgent attention.

She said hypertension remained a major concern because poor blood pressure control contributed to cardiovascular disease and, alongside type 2 diabetes, the growing burden of chronic kidney disease.

“The biggest gap is with the development and implementation of contextualised interventions and guidelines to improve early detection,” she said.

Existing African data on disease patterns, cardiovascular risk factors, infectious diseases, mortality, treatment outcomes and population health trends could be shared more effectively to close evidence gaps and guide locally appropriate interventions.

Gafane-Matemane also called for greater equity in research partnerships, including funding, authorship, data sharing, leadership and decisions on priorities.

Communities, she said, should have a stronger voice throughout the research process, with indigenous knowledge systems recognised.

“It is in these very communities where the answers to the most pressing global health challenges are and have always been,” she said.

Equitable partnerships, she argued, are essential if African research is to translate knowledge into lasting improvements in people’s health.

– CAJ News