Africa carries nearly a quarter of the global disease burden yet produces only about 2% of health research and attracts just 1% of global R&D investment. As part of Agenda 2063, the African Union has placed science, technology, and innovation at the heart of its development agenda, with the African diaspora increasingly contributing technical expertise, mentorship, and capital.
Africa’s ongoing challenges with infectious and non-communicable diseases create significant opportunities for innovation in vaccines, medicines, health technologies, over-the-counter products, wellness, and self-care. These areas are closely interconnected, and progress in one can strengthen the others. For instance, expanding self-care and wellness can help prevent avoidable illness, reduce pressure on overstretched health systems, and enhance both clinical and public health efforts. This is especially important in many African communities where pharmacists and local providers are more accessible than doctors, making community-led self-care a particularly effective tool for prevention. Global self-care companies such as Opella demonstrate how science-based products can be paired with large-scale health literacy campaigns and community programs that address local health needs. Their sustainability and inclusion-focused approach offers valuable lessons for building scalable, self-care partnerships across African communities
This joint ADN-Opella webinar will bring these themes together, exploring how self-care, wellness, and formal R&D efforts reinforce one another and how African diaspora leaders in the wellness industry can collaborate with Africa-based experts and companies to drive innovation.
