The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit pan African organisation. The AAS’ vision is to see transformed lives on the African continent through science. Our tripartite mandate is recognising excellence through the AAS’ highly prestigious fellowship and award schemes, providing advisory and think tank functions for shaping Africa’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) strategies and policies, and implementing key STI programmes addressing Africa’s developmental challenges through our agenda setting, funding and programme implementation platform, the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa’s (AESA’s)
Reasons why women’s voices are ignored in science reporting range from socio-cultural influences that inform gender norms, to perceptions of leadership and political power structures.
Scientists around Africa are working at the cutting edge of research and their work is relevant beyond the continent.
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Thanks to major science infrastructure, human resource training and education investment in African nations, the continent is well placed to lead from the front.
Some of the priorities were drawn from the World Health Organisation’s Roadmap; others were expressed by researchers in and from Africa as being important to the continent’s many contexts.
A woman making masks in Alexandra, Johannesburg. The South African government hasn’t consulted with its citizens on COVID-19.
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Policy implementation is about the execution of political decisions, informed by evidence.
More clinical trials in African countries can help ensure that any vaccines or treatments developed cater to the continent’s genetic diversity.
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More countries on the African continent must urgently get involved in clinical trials so that the data collected will accurately represent the continent at a genetic level.
Researchers need great equipment, infrastructure and support to thrive.
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There are a number of stumbling blocks to intra African collaboration. These must be addressed to ensure that research is not duplicated and that findings are shared.