Mission & Vision

Only a small number of registered trials are
conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa today…

The region is home to over 1.18 billion individuals across 46 countries. Despite this, according to Global Data, clinical trials started and completed on the African continent between December 2002 and March 2023 represented only 2.2% of global trials, with majority of these trials completed in Egypt. Counting only trials completed in sub-Saharan Africa, this figure drops to just 1.45% of all global trials.

New data from patient populations in the global north that inform biotech industry manufacturing priorities are increasingly limited as clinical trials in Global North settings fail to adequately capture the genetic and socio-economic diversity of patients in Africa. This means the pharmaceutical and medical technology needs of patients in Africa are not prioritized by western manufacturers and decisions to approve products for market in Africa are often informed by safety and efficacy data that may not fully represent the true diversity of African patients.

…but interest in Africa for clinical development
is rapidly growing

A strong African capacity for clinical research means African nations can become more self-determinant and less reliant on global north players in industry and academia.

Greater capacity for clinical research will generate important findings that can improve service delivery quality and equitable access to safe and effective health interventions.

There is also an economic benefit to increasing capacity for clinical research. By building a strong clinical research ecosystem, African nations will attract increasingly greater investment in the manufacturing of medical products and pharmaceuticals. This means African nations can become less beholden to the products and prices of Global North industry manufacturers.

Why the Future is Bright for Biotech in Africa

Available patients

Growing infrastructure

Geopolitical focus