Strengthening Partnerships, Showcasing Innovation: Highlights from the EDCTP Forum and NIHR134694 Annual Meeting 2025

From 15 to 20 June 2025, members of the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Digital Diagnostics for African Health Systems (NIHR134694) came together in Kigali, Rwanda, for a vibrant week of exchange, learning, and celebration—joining the Twelfth EDCTP Forum and hosting our Annual Group Meeting.

With over 1,500 delegates from across Africa and Europe, the Forum—held at the Kigali Convention Centre—brought global health research into sharp focus under the theme Better health through global research partnerships. Our group was proud to contribute substantively to the scientific programme while also carving out time for reflection and planning during our internal meeting.

The Kigali Convention Centre Auditorium hosting the EDCTP Forum 2025.

Julie Balen, Professor of Health Systems and Global Change at Canterbury Christ Church University and NIHR134694 Health Systems Lead, posing a thought-provoking question on the role of funding and philanthropy in shaping research priorities, sustainability, and equity in global health partnerships.

Professor Kara Hanson, Director of the Global Health Research Programme, chairing a plenary session on Promoting fair global research partnerships through new funding models.

Amplifying African-Led Innovation

The NIHR134694 Research Group was well represented across plenaries, symposia, oral presentations, and poster sessions.

Our NIHR Group and diagnostics research took centre stage, with Dimbintsoa Rakotomalala Robinson, our SP1 Ph.D. Student based at MRC Unit The Gambia (LSHTM), showcasing outcomes from field research he conducted in The Gambia and Burkina Faso testing molecular technologies to detect asymptomatic and submicroscopic malaria infections.

Dimbintsoa Rakotomalala Robinson presenting research findings at EDCTP Forum 2025, as part of this Ph.D. research project titled Evaluation of the detection of asymptomatic carriage of malaria parasites in cross-sectional community screening surveys using a point of care digital diagnostic.

Professor Muzamil Abdel Hamid, Director of the Institute of Endemic Diseases (IEND) at University of Khartoum and SP4 Supervisor within the NIHR134694, presented results from a novel rapid diagnostic test for P. falciparum and P. vivax in Sudan. While developed outside the scope of NIHR134694, the project offered valuable insights into diagnostic innovation in high-burden settings.

Slide from Professor Muzamil Abdel Mahdi's presentation, highlighting the key objectives of the FIND innovation platform aimed at improving malaria diagnosis, surveillance, and accelerating targeted research and access to innovative malaria diagnostic tools.

Darlington Akogo, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and globally recognised pioneer and leader in AI-driven health innovation for Africa.

Emerging technologies were prominently featured in Darlington Akogo's presentation, Data Integration and Application Co-Lead within the NIHR134694 and founder and CEO of minoHealth AI, partner in the NIHR consortium.

Darlington showcased Moremi Bio, the groundbreaking AI platform developed by minoHealth AI and being implemented across diverse African health settings. The platform supports a wide range of applications—from novel drug design and protein–protein interaction modelling to personalised medicine. This pioneering work has recently earned him recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and acknowledgment as one of Africa’s AI geniuses.

Slide from Darlington Akogo’s presentation at the 12th EDCTP Forum, outlining the diverse applications of Moremi Bio—an AI-powered platform developed by minoHealth AI for novel drug and protein design, precision medicine, and disease modelling.

Darlington Akogo also joined a high-profile panel debate at the EDCTP Forum, speaking for the proposition that African countries should urgently invest in artificial intelligence health tools and systems, along with further investment in digitalisation, alongside Annie Hartley (LiGHT, Switzerland). Opposing the motion were Adama Ibrahim (Novo Nordisk, Denmark) and Youssef Travaly (EDPU AFRICA, Rwanda). The session featured a dynamic and thought-provoking exchange on the opportunities, challenges, and implications of AI-driven health innovation across the continent.

Darlington Akogo delivers a dynamic and passionate address at the 12th EDCTP Forum in Kigali, championing the power of African-led AI innovation to transform healthcare systems and accelerate drug discovery across the continent.

Recognising Emerging Talent

Throughout the Forum, our Ph.D. students distinguished themselves through the quality of their science, the clarity of their ideas, and the impact of their research posters.

Mamadu Baldeh, SP8 Ph.D. Student based at MRC Unit The Gambia (LSHTM), was awarded the Best Poster Prize for his qualitative work on strengthening local diagnostic pathways and bridging the implementation gap for Point-of-Care diagnostics for acute febrile illness in The Gambia.

Mamadu Baldeh presenting his awarded poster on bridging the implementation gap for point-of-care diagnostics for acute febrile illness in The Gambia.

Mamadu Baldeh awarded the Best Poster Prize on the final day of the EDCTP Forum.

Mamadu Baldeh with two of his Ph.D. Supervisors attending the EDCTP Forum, Prof Julie Balen (Canterbury Christ Church University) and Dr Annette Erhart (MRC Unit The Gambia).

Faiza Umar Bawah, our SP9 Ph.D. Student from University of Ghana, presented her research poster titled Contextual and Cognitive Challenges: Design Implications for Point-of-Care Clinical Decision Support in Africa, which explores how local contexts, user needs, and infrastructure constraints should inform the design of digital decision-support tools for frontline health workers in low-resource settings.

Faiza Umar Bawah stands by her poster exploring design challenges for point-of-care clinical decision support systems in Africa. The central diagram maps clinical decision-making workflows and cognitive steps in febrile illness management, highlighting where breakdowns occur due to usability gaps, resource constraints, and workflow mismatches in African health settings.

Waleed Alhaj, SP4 P.hD. Student from University of Khartoum, presented a timely and data-driven poster titled Malaria in Conflict Zones: Epidemiological Trends from War-Torn Sudan, which analysed surveillance data to reveal shifting malaria patterns and healthcare delivery challenges in war settings.

Waleed Alhaj presenting his poster and engaging in discussion on the shifting disease dynamics and public health challenges in war-torn Sudan.

Our Ph.D. Students shared reflections that captured the energy of the week:

“Delighted to present my PhD research on Dragonfly... It was a privilege to engage with inspiring researchers and global health leaders from across Africa and Europe.”— Dimbintsoa Rakotomalala Robinson

“From the Forum to the Annual Meeting, and the vibrant city of Kigali—it was a week of learning, connection, and inspiration.”— Flavia Kaduni Bawa

“I’m deeply grateful to EDCTP for enabling me to share my research on such an important global platform.”— Waleed Alhaj

The NIHR134694 Ph.D. Students attending the EDCTP Forum. From left to right: Waleed Mohammed Alhaj Jebreel (University of Khartoum), Mamadu Baldeh (MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM), Francis Dzabeng (University of Ghana), Faiza Umar Bahaw (University of Ghana), Dimbintsoa Rakotomalala Robinson (MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM), Martin Chamai (University of Ghana), Flavia Kaduni Bawa (University of Ghana), and Erick Odoyo (Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology).

A detailed list of the NIHR134694 Ph.D Students, Research Project and Supervisors can be found at this page: https://www.digitaldiagnostics4africa.org/nihr-project.

Our Scientific Symposium Session

A standout moment for the group was the symposium titled Engaging citizens and communities in global research partnerships is essential for the successful co-production of people-centred health innovations, chaired by Professor Julie Balen (School of Allied and Public Health Professions at Canterbury Christ Church University) and Professor Emilia Asuquo Udofia (Department of Community Health, University of Ghana Medical School at University of Ghana).

Professors Julie Balen and Emilia Udofia lead the Health Systems and Community Engagement & Involvement (CEI) work packages, respectively, within the NIHR Global Health Research Group. The symposium was organised in collaboration with other Group members, including Professor Salome Bukachi, CEI Co-Lead from University of Nairobi, and Dr Prudence Hamade from Malaria Consortium.

Professor Julie Balen (Canterbury Christ Church University), chairing a symposium at EDCTP Forum 2025, focused on the research conducted by the NIHR134694 Group. Prof Balen is Health Systems Lead of the Group and Supervisors of two Ph.D. Students, Mamadu Baldeh (MRCG) and Shola Kelly Molemodile Dele-Olowu (University of Ghana).

The session opened with Professor Julie Balen outlining the research vision of NIHR134694, focused on integrating novel, portable molecular diagnostic technologies into African health systems. This was followed by a powerful presentation from Professor Emilia Udofia, who reflected on the core principles of Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) and co-production in health research—highlighting the importance of shared power, mutual respect between local and scientific knowledge, and the co-development of contextually grounded solutions through sustained community dialogue.

Professor Emilia Udofia discussing the distinction between engagement and involvement in global health research.

This was followed by Darlington Akogo, who presented a forward-looking vision for AI-enabled disease surveillance and diagnostics across Africa (see above).

The Non-adoption, Abandonment and Scale-up, Spread and Sustainability (NASSS) framework.

Mamadu Baldeh on stage at the EDCTP Forum 2025 scientific symposium led by the NIHR134694.

Mamadu Baldeh shared grounded insights from his qualitative fieldwork in The Gambia, underscoring the real-world challenges of bridging diagnostic innovation and local implementation gaps in primary care, using a specific framework (NASSS) to analyse why point-of-care tools succeed or fail within health systems.

Faiza Umar Bawah, before taking the stage at the EDCTP Forum 2025 NIHR134694 scientific symposium.

Finally, Faiza Umar Bawah, SP9 Ph.D. Student based at the University of Ghana, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on the cognitive and contextual challenges faced by frontline health workers when using point-of-care clinical decision support systems.

Faiza Umar Bawah presents on the design implications for point-of-care clinical decision support in Africa, offering a human-computer interaction perspective grounded in her research at the University of Ghana.

Faiza outlined a range of cognitive barriers—including high uncertainty, limited decision support, and managing patients with co-morbidities—alongside contextual constraints such as resource scarcity, fragmented referral systems, health worker capacity, and communication barriers.

Faiza Umar Bawah outlines cognitive and contextual challenges in clinical decision-making.

Together, the presenters illuminated how digital diagnostics—when co-designed with communities and responsive to the needs of frontline health workers—can meaningfully strengthen health systems. The discussion highlighted how cognitive burdens like diagnostic uncertainty, as well as contextual challenges such as fragmented referral systems, limited infrastructure, and communication barriers, must inform the design of effective tools. It was a powerful reminder that innovation must be grounded in lived realities and embedded within broader commitments to co-production, equity, and health justice.

Scientific Leadership

Last but not least, the Forum also highlighted the scientific leadership within our Group. Professor Aubrey Cunnington, Co-Lead of NIHR134694, chaired the scientific symposium Transforming our understanding of the relationships between disease and climate, which explored how distributed sensors and digital tools can reshape predictive disease surveillance in African cities.

Professor Aubrey Cunnington chairs the scientific symposium on disease and climate at the EDCTP Forum, highlighting the potential of digital tools and sensor networks to transform predictive surveillance across African cities.

Speakers of the scientific symposium Transforming our understanding of the relationships between disease and climate: Dr Eric Tama, Dr Joan Nakibuuka, Professor Tobias Rinke de Wit, and session Chair, Professor Aubrey Cunnington (on the left).

Meanwhile, Professor Umberto D'Alessandro, Director of the MRC Unit The Gambia, joined the panel on Advancing equitable and ethical research to meet women’s therapeutic needs, contributing insights on justice, inclusion, and representation in clinical research design.

Professor Umberto D'Alessandro, Director of the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, panelist at EDCTP Forum 2025.

Professor Umberto D'Alessandro also leads pivotal research on the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine in the Gambia, in collaboration with Dr Edgard Dabira, Dr Annette Erhart (MRCG), and Professor Halidou Tinto—an internationally recognised leader in R21 vaccine development and Co-Lead of the NIHR134694. Dr Dabira presented new findings during a dedicated session on seasonal mass vaccination strategies for malaria elimination, highlighting the potential of R21 to contribute to long-term malaria control in endemic regions.

Here below, members of the NIHR134694 Group capture moments together during the EDCTP Forum, celebrating a week of scientific exchange, collaboration, and shared achievements.

NIHR134694 Annual Meeting: Reflecting, Refocusing, Recharging

Taking the occasion of the EDCTP Forum week, the NIHR134694 Group came together on Thursday, 19 June, for its hybrid Annual Meeting, hosted both in Kigali and online.

The NIHR Global Health Research Group on Digital Diagnostics for African Health Systems in Kigali, attending the Annual Meeting 2025.

Highlights from the event included updates on Students' research progress and project milestones, open discussions on how stakeholders—including ministries, communities, patients, and healthcare workers—have been engaged so far, and where deeper co-creation and co-design are planned and required.

The day closed with the next steps for the last year of the project, and vision beyond evaluation and prototyping, to include policy and implementation.

Looking Ahead

Kigali reminded us that global health progress stems not just from science, but from collaboration. From recognition of individual excellence to the co-creation of system-level tools, this past week deepened our conviction that diagnostics must be made with, not just for, the people and systems they aim to serve.

As the NIHR134694 Group enters its next and final project phase the energy and insights from Kigali will guide our continued efforts to build smart, inclusive, and scalable diagnostics solutions for African health systems.

Acknowledgements

The Annual Meeting 2025 was organised in close collaboration with MRC Unit The Gambia. Special thanks to Dr Annette Erhart and Gibril Gabbidon for their invaluable support in ensuring the smooth financial delivery of the event, and to Jean Baptiste Uwiduhaye, Sales Manager at M Hotel Kigali, for his outstanding logistical assistance throughout.

Warmest thanks to all the Members attending – both in person and online – and to all the Students, Leads & Supervisors for their inspiring contributions and commitment to make these events possible, and for their continued collaboration across the Group.

Lastly, heartfelt thanks to our Co-Leads, Professor Aubrey Cunnington and Professor Halidou Tinto, whose clear vision and strategic leadership continue to guide the Group toward lasting impact and success.