Our Impact
Our legacy of positive transformation
Our impact is defined by the results of the projects we tackle and the evidence we generate across sub-Saharan Africa. APHRC’s robust and strategic partnerships, including continental, regional bodies and global organizations, contribute to building a critical mass of researchers and strengthening the African research and development ecosystem. Over the last two decades, the Center’s work has received recognition through various awards, and our key milestones are highlighted.
Our Journey Towards Impact
APHRC started in 1995 as a fellowship program of the Population Council, with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation.
In 2001 APHRC became autonomous and received a Headquarters Agreement with the Government of Kenya. The organization is registered in Delaware, USA; 501(c)3 status. It is now an African regional research center.
Established a research training program for Master’s holders to nurture research capacity
APHRC reached a staff body of 100
Established the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), a flagship program, jointly led with the University of Witwatersrand to support the development of a vibrant African academy that leads world-class multidisciplinary research
Established the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship (ADDRF) program in partnership with the International Development Research Centre. The first large-scale outward facing capacity strengthening initiative for the Center
CARTA enrolled its first cohort offering fully funded doctoral and post-doctoral training opportunities to attract, train and retain the continent’s brightest minds
Launched its campus in Kitisuru, Nairobi
Launched the Jubilee Education Fund to provide financial support for needy students from some of the informal settlements in Nairobi
Launched the PAMANECH project to assess the impact of strengthening public-private partnerships for the delivery of healthcare in Nairobi’s informal settlements
Collaborated with multi-stakeholders to develop and publish a ground-breaking report on the ‘Incidence and Complications of Unsafe Abortion in Kenya’
Led the East Africa Health Policy and Research Organization (EA-HPRO) for the Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa (IMCHA) initiative with 13 research teams in six countries to promote the uptake of evidence on maternal, newborn, and child health
Won the 2015 prestigious United Nations Population Award that seeks to honour individuals and institutions making outstanding contributions to increasing the awareness of population issues
Joined Countdown 2030 as lead for the Africa regional initiative, to track progress at country level towards SGDs related to Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition. Countdown to 2030 is a collaboration of academics from different regions of the world, multilateral agencies and civil society organizations, to track progress at country level
Ranked top African think tank for domestic health policy by The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania
Worked with the Kenya Ministry of Health, and the City County of Nairobi to develop Nairobi’s first comprehensive ‘Shit Flow Diagram (SFD)’. The SFD helps visualize and understand how fecal waste flows (and escapes) through the city’s infrastructure from defecation to disposal
Launched the Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion (CPSE) project, which aims to generate a co-created African-owned body of evidence on contentious issues
Worked with the Kenya Ministry of Health (Kenya) and PATH to inaugurate the second human milk bank in sub-Saharan Africa at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi
Launched the West Africa Regional Office (WARO) in Dakar, Senegal, its second physical office in Africa
Launched a training facility, the Ulwazi Place in Nairobi, Kenya
APHRC was among ten finalists of the Rockefeller Foundation Food Systems Vision Prize
The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) Program hit the ten-year milestone and clocked 100 graduates from its cohorts
APHRC received a $15 million gift from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett
APHRC won the Champions of Governance NGO/Humanitarian Sector Award for demonstration of high standards of governance
APHRC won the Global Healthy Workplace Award, becoming the first African winner in any category during the ten years of the prestigious award program
APHRC achieved the Platinum Tier Certification of the Good Financial Grant Practice
The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan was successfully rolled out in 2022
APHRC celebrated its 20th anniversary with various events and initiatives, including the APHRC@20 celebrations, a symposium, and a documentary.
The Center’s redefined role as an enabler and catalyst in the Research & Development ecosystem. These include:
- Establishing a Data Science Program (DSP).
- Developing and implementing the Catalyze-impact initiative.
- Establishing a molecular biology laboratory.
Expanded the Good Financial Grant Practice training and institutional mentoring, with over 160 institutions in the certification pipeline (up from 67 in 2023).
Increased country reach from 35 to over 40 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging virtual platforms such as the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) Virtual Academy and Afrique Research Hub (ARSH).
Statistics from 2020 to 2025