Medical research./ PHOTO; Pexel
Wellcome has launched a five-year, £10 million ($13.2 million) investment to transform Africa’s role in global genomics through a new programme called GEN-IMPACT.
The initiative brings together three major African institutions: the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), the African Population Cohorts Consortium (APCC), and the African Bioinformatics Institute (ABI) to close Africa’s long-standing genomic data gap and ensure that African populations are fully represented in future scientific discoveries.
For years, scientists have known that African populations hold the highest levels of genetic diversity in the world. Yet this diversity is missing from most global genomic datasets.
Because research has historically focused on non-African populations, medical discoveries and treatments often fail to reflect the full range of human variation.
GEN-IMPACT aims to correct this imbalance by generating new data, training African scientists, and building the systems needed for sustainable, Africa-led genomic research.
Wellcome’s £10 million investment marks a significant expansion of efforts to make genomic research more equitable and globally representative.
It also strengthens Wellcome’s long-standing partnerships with African science institutions by supporting a project that is designed, led, and driven by Africans for African priorities.
According to Dr Evelyn Gitau, Chief Scientific Officer at the SFA Foundation, the programme represents a turning point in how African genomic data is collected and used.
“With GEN-IMPACT, we are catalysing a truly Africa-led genomics platform that will amplify African voices, data, and institutions in discovery science and health equity,” she said.
“For too long, the continent’s genetic richness has been invisible in global datasets, yet it holds the key to unlocking new insights for humanity.”
Under the partnership, each institution plays a central role.
The SFA Foundation will coordinate the initiative, lead grant management, oversee compliance with ethical standards, and engage key partners.
Their experience managing large-scale scientific programmes across Africa positions them to guide GEN-IMPACT from planning through implementation.
“African genomes represent the highest level of genetic diversity on Earth and hold enormous potential for advancing discovery and improving health globally,” said Wellcome technology manager Ekin Bolukbasi.
“But capacity isn’t just what we build, it’s who we empower to lead. GEN-IMPACT puts African scientists and priorities at the centre of genomic research, which is essential for equity and impact.”
The APCC, which consists of nearly 70 research cohorts across 24 African countries, will provide access to long-term population data.
These cohorts follow communities over many years, collecting health, lifestyle, and environmental information.
When this data is combined with genomic information, it can help identify why certain diseases affect some groups more than others and how environmental conditions shape health outcomes.
Dr Kobus Herbst, Chair of the APCC, said this combination of datasets offers a powerful opportunity.
“By linking deep, longitudinal data with genomic and environmental information, this initiative could uncover disease mechanisms that truly reflect African populations,” he said.
“GEN-IMPACT gives us the power to translate this science into better health outcomes for our people.”
The third partner, the African Bioinformatics Institute (ABI), will lead efforts to build skills and strengthen infrastructure.
This includes training African bioinformaticians, the specialists who analyse genomic data, developing tools that ensure data is managed safely, and building systems that keep African genomic data within the continent.
Prof. Nicky Mulder, Interim Director of ABI, emphasised that capacity, trust, and good governance are essential.
She noted that ABI’s role is not only to train experts but also to establish strong data protection frameworks. “This ensures African data remains in Africa, serving African priorities,” she said.
At its core, GEN-IMPACT is about fairness, representation, and scientific accuracy.
By ensuring African communities are no longer left out of genomic research, the initiative aims to improve health outcomes, strengthen medical research, and empower African scientists to lead discoveries that benefit their own populations.
The programme also signals a broader shift: a move toward a future where Africa is not just a participant in global genomic science, but a leader.
GEN-IMPACT’s combination of new data, training opportunities, and strong partnerships is designed to create long-term impact, ensuring the benefits of genomic research reach the communities whose diversity makes these breakthroughs possible.
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