AU leaders welcome funding for African science platform

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Leaders of the African Union (AU) have recently endorsed the establishment of a continent-wide initiative aimed at supporting the development of scientific research, innovation, and excellence.

The Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AAESA) platform will hold a number of key duties that will see that the continent’s scientific future is assured. These responsibilities include the management and evaluation of grant money and identifying opportunities to accelerate scientific growth, as well as promoting greater transparency across the sector.  

Another key remit of the AAESA will be the promotion of the AU’s long term commitment to improve socio-economic and political development on the continent. In particular, the group will work in accordance with the group’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024) initiative, specifically within the health sector, where the delivery of healthcare and technology can often prove challenging.

At an important summit meeting earlier this year, heads of state made a strong call to the global community for marked intellectual and financial support of the AAESA campaign, citing the fantastic opportunity to improve the lot of millions of Africans through developing and extending healthcare. Recently groups such as Accenture have been leading the way, providing significant funding to train healthcare workers in Kenya. 

Growing the African scientific community in this way has the potential to create a whole raft of stem industries, boosting jobs, diversifying exports, and raising the health standard of the continent.