The African Population Cohorts Consortium aims to generate evidence, inform policy, and support equitable universal health coverage across Africa. Photo buAI
The African Population Cohorts Consortium (APCC) has officially launched, backed by £4 million in funding from Wellcome to drive African-led medical and genetic research.
Hosted by the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), APCC aims to transform Africa’s scientific landscape by mobilising longitudinal population data for research, policy, and societal impact.
By connecting over 40 population cohorts across 16 countries, APCC is set to become a cornerstone of African-led discovery science, advancing health equity, data sovereignty, and context-specific public health solutions.
“Population health data can shape better futures, but to realise its full potential, we need to support diverse, high-quality data that is representative of the communities where the most impact can be made,” said Victoria Pelly, Senior Research Manager at Wellcome.
“Wellcome is pleased to support the APCC to advance discovery research, support equity, and ensure that African researchers and communities are at the forefront of generating knowledge that shapes meaningful public health solutions, both regionally and globally.”
The £4 million investment will support the establishment of a permanent APCC Secretariat at SFA Foundation, activation of key governance structures, and the Consortium’s first annual convening, while fostering national and regional stakeholder engagement.
A Vision by Africans, for Africa
The Consortium was officially launched at a high-level convening in Cape Town in May 2024, where more than 40 African population cohorts endorsed the APCC blueprint.
The blueprints outline the initiative’s vision, values, governance framework, and three-pronged research agenda focused on ethics, data harmonisation, and translational impact.
“Despite their immense potential, large population cohorts have historically been underutilized in Africa,” said Dr Evelyn Gitau, Chief Scientific Officer at SFA Foundation.
“Through APCC, we are shaping a future where African-led longitudinal data not only advances scientific discovery but also enhances the health and well-being of communities across the continent.”
According to the World Health Organization’s African Regional Office, nearly 60% of African countries lack robust systems for health data collection and use.
Yet, longitudinal cohort studies, which track individuals over time, are among the most effective tools for understanding disease patterns, social determinants of health, and evaluating the impact of public health interventions [WHO, 2023].
Scientific Leadership and Strategic Focus
The APCC will operate under the guidance of an Interim Steering Committee (ISC), co-chaired by:
- Dr Kobus Herbst, from the Africa Health Research Institute, and
- Dr Dorcas Kamuya, from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program, is an expert in bioethics and community engagement.
By aligning research methodologies and ethical frameworks, APCC aims to enable interoperable, scalable studies that accelerate insights into a range of public health challenges, including non-communicable diseases, pandemics, and mental health.
The Consortium’s efforts will be structured around three strategic research programmes:
- Health and well-being across the lifespan
To gain transformational insights into the multifactorial drivers of health and disease across life stages and generations, especially in Africa’s rapidly evolving social and epidemiological landscape. - Climate change and health
To assess and mitigate the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations—such as children, women, older adults, those with chronic illnesses, indigenous communities, and low-income groups—who disproportionately bear the burden of climate-related health risks. - Universal health coverage (UHC)
To harness population cohorts in tracking equitable access to care, financial protection, and health system performance.
This will help monitor UHC progress, identify gaps in service delivery and financing, and inform targeted investments.
“This consortium represents a long-awaited convergence of Africa’s population research leaders,” said Dr Herbst.
“Our collective effort will generate the evidence base needed to achieve universal health coverage, address context-specific health challenges, and inform national and regional policy from an African perspective.”
Building a Data-Driven Future
At its core, APCC is about shifting the center of gravity of population science to Africa, with African researchers leading the charge in shaping health policies and innovations.
The initiative is fully aligned with the Health Research and Innovation Strategy for Africa (2018–2030) and is poised to accelerate the continent’s data-driven transformation while promoting ethical standards, innovation, and African data sovereignty.
“Africa has been left out of so much genomic research. But the future of medicine must include everyone—and that starts with building the infrastructure and collaborations needed to support African-led science,” said Prof. Ambroise Wonkam, who leads the APCC secretariat.
About the African Population Cohorts Consortium (APCC)
The APCC envisions the sustainable development of African populations towards good health and well-being by enhancing and uniting African population cohorts through a collaborative consortium.
By harnessing the continent’s diversity and scientific capacity, APCC aims to generate evidence, inform policy, and support equitable universal health coverage across Africa.
About the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation)
The SFA Foundation is a pan-African, non-profit organisation that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation across Africa.
It provides funding, convenes partnerships, and backs African-led research initiatives to tackle the continent’s most pressing development challenges.
About Wellcome
Wellcome is a global charitable foundation supporting science to solve urgent health challenges. It funds discovery research and innovation to improve health for everyone.
