Africa needs to Shape Its Biotech Innovation Agenda - Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi
Chioma Nnamani
At the 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi called on African scientists and innovators to lead biotech development that reflects the continent’s priorities, values, and public health needs.
The Conference which is taking place in Durban, South Africa, under the theme “Moving Towards Self-Reliance to Achieve Universal Health Coverage and Health Security in Africa,” is co-hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Government of South Africa, in collaboration with AfricaBio’s 8th Annual BIO Africa Convention. Participants gathered to continue charting Africa’s course towards resilient health systems and greater self-reliance in healthcare delivery.
In his opening speech, Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi, CEO of AfricaBio, urged African scientists and innovators to take ownership of the continent’s biotechnology future by developing homegrown innovation models, moving away from dependency on borrowed technologies and imported ideas.
Founded 26 years ago, Msomi said AfricaBio was born out of a recognition that the voices of African scientists were often absent in conversations shaping global science and innovation.
“Biotechnology offers an opportunity for the African continent to leapfrog other technology-driven industries because, at the time we started, there were no legacy issues, but over the past 25 years, we have seen that legacy issues can be manufactured and as a result, we can be left behind.”
~ Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi
The reference to “legacy issues” points to the growing structural and policy barriers that have emerged within the continent, hindering the pace of innovation and making it harder for Africa to maintain its early advantage in biotechnology.
He emphasised that Africa must move from research for discovery’s sake to innovation with impact, guided by public health priorities defined by institutions such as the Africa CDC.
AfricaBio, he said, is hoping to work with the Africa CDC to establish a drug discovery and development platform based on the continent’s pathogen priority list. The initiative aims to direct research efforts toward diseases that affect African populations, catalysing the continent’s intellectual and physical infrastructure for science and innovation.
Dr. Msomi underscored that the biotech mission is not only about health, but a lot of emphasis is also placed on entrepreneurship for developing sustainable industries of the future which will be driven by young African scientists and innovators.