Throughout 2023, APHRC strengthened its footprint across the continent, weaving a vibrant mosaic of partnerships and alliances across 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Center implemented more than 200 projects in these countries, marking an increase of 64 new projects from the previous year. This expanding portfolio deepened APHRC’s presence in Eastern Africa and broadened the scope and reach of its West Africa Regional Office (WARO).
The Center continued to intensify and strengthen partnerships and meaningful collaborations in the same year by working with like-minded institutions. As part of its institutional and research capacity strengthening strategy, APHRC has been intentional in forging long-term and strategic partnerships with academic and research institutions, international, national, and local non-governmental organizations, and government entities. These partnerships are the tesserae that, when combined, have helped weave an intricate yet beautiful pattern of APHRC’s work.
Through its Catalyze Impact Initiative, the Center has expanded its network of academic institutions in the region. In Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya, it is developing prototypes in collaboration with academic and research partners and relevant ministries to expedite the translation of research into actionable policies and programs. Partnerships with academic institutions aim to boost research capacities and enhance quality. By actively involving diverse stakeholders, APHRC ensures research efforts maintain both academic rigor and practical relevance.
APHRC is committed to strengthening the continent’s academic and research institutions to play a greater role in research and policy in their respective countries. The Center continued to champion the adoption of the Good Finance Grant Practice (GFGP) standard and aims to have more African Universities and research institutions enroll and complete the certification process. The GFGP standard externally validates institutional systems and is an entry point to enhance their capacity and enable them to receive funding directly from international research funders. APHRC facilitated the initiation of the GFGP certification for 67 African institutions: 46 under the Catalyze Impact Initiative, 12 under the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) project, and nine under the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) program.
In tandem with expanding its network of partners, the CARTA program rolled out its research hub strategy. Five partner universities received preparatory grants to conceptualize their research hubs. These are future research and training platforms that will conduct largescale policy-relevant research within the universities while embedding PhD and postdoctoral fellows.
The Center’s theory of change partly hinges on APHRC experts using their knowledge and experience to support decision-making. In 2023, various APHRC staff across programs/units were members of more than 32 technical working groups, 13 advisory bodies, and five technical expert committees. These collaborations contributed to shaping a rich mosaic of APHRC’s work, amplifying African voices in evidence-based decisionmaking and shaping policies to drive action and farreaching impact on the continent.