Turning On the Lights
In 2024, APHRC continued to turn on the lights, generating evidence to inform policies and programmatic actions, and embracing innovation. The Africa Research Connect (ARC) stood out as the Center’s most significant innovation in the past year. ARC is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered platform that enhances visibility, discoverability, and accessibility to African-based researchers and resources. Using AI to collect up-to-date data, the ARC aims to transform how institutions, researchers, and funders connect and collaborate with African scientists. The ARC features over 6 million author profiles and more than 4 million publications spanning a 25-year period and from all 54 African countries. In the same year, the Center also launched the African Journal Visibility Platform—a flagship digital infrastructure to elevate the global visibility, accessibility, and indexing of African scholarly journals. This platform strengthens the African research ecosystem by ensuring that African-generated knowledge is discoverable, accessible, and citable globally.
APHRC also unveiled its newly licensed Biodata Laboratory, equipped with molecular and genomic research tools. The Biodata Lab is more than a physical space; it represents a shift in the Center’s research approach, from a question-based approach to one that incorporates biological markers of disease and health in its scientific inquiry. The lab was licensed by the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB) and will advance research on chronic diseases and other health issues at the Center.
The Center recognizes that lasting change needs empowered individuals and strong institutions. We ensure our stakeholders’ capacity is strengthened, knowledge is transferred, and skills are developed. Notably, 161 institutions underwent the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) certification process, a significant increase from 67 in 2023. Of these, eight completed the GFGP certification, 30 completed self-assessments, while 123 are undergoing selfassessment. This initiative aims to enhance the financial and grant management capacity of African institutions. APHRC is turning on the light by providing expertise in research and capacity strengthening to deliver targeted interventions, guiding institutions through best grant management practices and compliance with the GFGP standard for stronger financial governance.
We have invested in mentorship, training, and leadership development, equipping young African scholars with the necessary tools to drive transformation. APHRC strengthened its internship program by recruiting 55 interns, surpassing the annual target of 12. During this reporting period, the APHRC fellowship programs expanded in scope and number, supporting 187 fellows, including 37 new fellows, marking an increase from the 2023 total of 138 fellows. These fellows published 100 research outputs and secured over $2.9 million in research grants. The programs include the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR), the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship (ADDRF), the Capacity Development of Applied Epidemiology (CDAE), Countdown 2030, the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) Fellowship, and the WHO HRP Alliance Fellowship.
Furthermore, the Center marked a significant milestone by awarding the first Pauline Bakibinga Memorial Scholarship. Established in September 2022, the scholarship honors the memory of Dr. Pauline Bakibinga, a former research scientist at APHRC passionate about digital health and its potential to transform health systems on the African continent. The first scholarship award to Deborah Neumbe, a master’s student in bioinformatics at Makerere University is a significant step toward realizing the vision of nurturing the next generation of digital health experts.
