Formed in 2016, the Strengthening Africa’s Health Technologies Advocacy Coalition (SAHTAC) formally known as the South African Health Technologies Advocacy Coalition is a collective of civil society organizations dedicated to creating an enabling environment for health research, development, and innovation (HRD&I), promoting equitable access to health products in Africa. Hosted by The Aurum Institute, SAHTAC is affiliated to the African Health Research, Innovation and Development Alliance (AHRIDA) whose secretariate is hosted by AMREF in Nairobi, Kenya. AHRIDA aims to strengthen Africa’s RD&I policy and resource capacity to accelerate development of, access to, and uptake of innovations with the highest potential health impact.

1. Increased commitments for domestic and ODA funding for health HRD&I that addresses Africa’s health priorities

2.Increased funding to research institutions for the development of the needed human capital to accelerate HRD&I in Africa, and a diversity of opportunities for technical collaboration

3. Increased uptake of health innovations, both existing and under development, that meet priority health needs for African populations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in many health systems on the Africa continent. Challenges ranging from malnutrition, social inequality, uncoordinated regulatory bodies, poor health infrastructure, and declining government healthcare funding. Africa comprises 15% of the world’s population but bears 25% of the global disease burden, producing only 2% of the world’s research output. One of the most pressing global health problems is a mismatch between the needed health research and development (R&D) and that which is undertaken. Global health research does not address health needs in a balanced way. More research is conducted, and resources mobilized for diseases with a higher burden in high-income countries than diseases with a high burden in lower-income countries. This significantly impacts the global mission to improve population health equitably.

 Some African governments have demonstrated commitment to health R&D, passing a number of policies and strategies aimed at bolstering their country’s innovation agenda Strides have been made to turn Africa into a self-reliant region that is capable of having a thriving vaccine manufacturing industry through the WHO tech-transfer initiatives with Afrigen and Boivac, the setting up of the African Medicines Agency, Enabling frameworks like the Priority Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) Framework  Additionally, government funding for health R&D has increased in countries like South Africa over the past decade and has met an important international commitment to direct 2 percent of the national health budget to R&D. These policies and commitments should ultimately translate science, research, and technological development into economic growth and a higher quality of life for South Africa’s people—implementation, however, remains a challenge.

Advocacy is therefore needed to ensure that policies are fully implemented, funding mechanisms are aligned, and accountability measures are in place to monitor progress. Civil society has a role to play in these advocacy efforts by holding the governments accountable to R&D-related commitments and ensuring that science is translated into tangible economic and social benefits for all people in Africa.

SAHTAC member organizations have a history of advocating for improved health technologies, programs, and services—from HIV and tuberculosis, to maternal, newborn, and child health. Through coordinated advocacy, SAHTAC underscores the importance of increasing access to lifesaving technologies across the health spectrum. SAHTAC, through various initiatives such as capacity buildings, webinars etc have enabled member organizations to work towards achieving mutually shared goals that support the research and development of high-impact health interventions in South Africa.

Through various advocacy initiatives we have contributed to:

• Sustained health R&D funding at 2019 levels through targeted advocacy and tracking government commitments by ensuring stakeholder engagement.
• Influenced health research priorities setting by engaging NDoH to ensure alignment of investments with local needs and addressing donor-imposed challenges.
• Enhanced regulatory transparency with SAHPRA and supported WHO-recognized vaccine production standards. Through sustained engagements with the regulator.
• Championed gender equity and youth inclusion through workshops, campaigns, and capacity-building programs.
• Advanced harmonization policies with significant progress in the South African AMA treaty ratification process.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED Any legally registered organization or institution interested in health R&D advocacy in South Africa may apply to join SAHTAC. Currently, the coalition’s secretariat is hosted at The Aurum Institute offices in Johannesburg, South Africa. Please contact Sakhile Khaweka (skhaweka@auruminstitute.org), Policy and Advocacy Manager, for more information about how to become involved.

SAHTAC Member Organisations