Blogs

The Platform for Dialogue and Action on Health Technologies in Africa (Health Tech Platform) facilitated a session at the Pan African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) Conference on 22 September 2021. The session introduced the Health Tech Platform to PAMCA scientists in order to create awareness among them on how they can use the Platform to advance their research and innovation efforts for the elimination of vector-borne diseases in Africa.

Speaking at the session, Dr. Rose Oronje, the Health Tech Platform’s Technical Lead at AFIDEP, noted that the Platform hoped to contribute to efforts that address the factors undermining the development, testing and scale-up of emerging health technologies in Africa including: limited involvement/participation of Africans in technology development; limited knowledge among key stakeholders and the public; opposition to the development of some of the technologies; and limited priority and investments in these technologies by African governments.

Throwing more light on why and how PAMCA researchers should engage with the Platform, Dr. Ernest Tambo, the Platform’s Manager, noted that the Platform provides many opportunities for information sharing on innovations with a wider range of stakeholders. Other reasons he advanced for the need for PAMCA researchers to engage with the Platform are that: the Platform is a space for the researchers to provide expert or peer-review for planned or ongoing technology development; the platform provides for learning and keeping abreast of ongoing research and innovation for health; it connects with policymakers, legislators, CSOs, media and the private sector; and it promotes and enables evidence use in decision-making.

Dr. Tambo also outlined ways in which PAMCA researchers can engage with the Platform, including through: participating in the Platform’s activities such as panel or round table discussions, media briefings, meetings and trainings; contributing content, e.g. blogs and expert or think pieces for wide circulation on their health-related innovations and emerging issues relating to health technologies; becoming champions to increase awareness and understanding of health technologies; proposing and co-hosting forums or webinars on specific health technologies with the Platform; and joining the Platform’s evidence synthesis efforts to support decision-making.

PAMCA researchers who joined the session were keen to learn more on how the Platform hoped to stimulate political and policy changes, which are often hard to bring about. In response, it was noted that the Platform’s mix of strategies, including evidence synthesis, sustained dialogues, and working with champions, among others, were designed precisely to unlock political interest and action on emerging health technologies.