“Science Speaks”: African scientists and advocates host a satellite event at World Health Summit
Speak Up Africa hosted a high-level satellite event during the World Health Summit in Berlin: “Science Speaks: African Scientists and Advocates in the Global Malaria Response”.
Co-organized with the Global Fund Advocacy Network (GFAN), RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), and Target Malaria, the event brought together a powerful coalition of voices reshaping the narrative around malaria in science, advocacy, policy.
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, delivered the opening remarks, followed by a discussion of the theme by Dr. Moussa Sarr, Principal Investigator and Head of the Cooperation Group, Institute for Health Research, Priscilla Ama Addo, GFAN speaker and advocate, and Alice Neequaye, Head of Quality and Equitable Partnerships for MMV, and Prof. Isabella Oyier, Head of the Biosciences Department at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program (KWTRP). Their message was clear: Africa is not just a recipient of global health interventions—it is a source of groundbreaking research, policy leadership, and community-driven innovation.
Beyond science, the session celebrated the potential of scientists’ advocacy in mobilizing support and driving change. The initiative, launched by Speak Up Africa, AVOS – African Voices of Science amplifies the perspectives of African scientists and makes their work more visible and accessible to the public.
The event concluded with a call to action: for global partners to listen, invest, and collaborate with African scientists and advocates. The event was followed by an opinion piece published in a South African media outlet and titled “ Next era of global health in Africa relies on investing in African scientists”.
