Africa Clinical Reseach Network

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Africa Clinical Reseach Network A collaborative platform advancing clinical research and improving health across Africa by connecting researchers, institutions, and key stakeholders.

The Africa Clinical Research Network (ACRN) was founded in 2024 in Zimbabwe by one of Africaโ€™s most prominent scientists, Dr. Tariro Makadzange. In 2021, Dr. Makadzange established the Mutala Trust as an independent, African-led research organization. Originally named โ€œMutalaโ€ โ€“ meaning โ€œto studyโ€ in Arabic and also the name of a Zambian stream โ€“ the name was chosen to symbolize the flow and expansion of knowledge, reflecting the collaborative nature of the organization. Mutalaโ€™s journey began with a Phase I COVID-19 vaccine study in partnership with the Serum Institute of India. Despite the trialโ€™s cancellation due to emerging variants, Dr. Makadzange swiftly adapted, converting part of her home into a clinic and transforming a peanut butter factory into a laboratory to continue research.

๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—œ๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—˜ | ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—™๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ: ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐——๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐——๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜†, ๐—”๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ท๐—ฎ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒNigeria imports up to 70% of its medic...
12/10/2026

๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—œ๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—˜ | ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—™๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ: ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐——๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐——๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜†, ๐—”๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ท๐—ฎ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ

Nigeria imports up to 70% of its medicines. Healthcare businesses face interest rates of 25 to 40%. So who's financing the fix?

To close the PVAC Story on the ACRN Health Podcast, Dr Wilfred Gurupira talks with Olumide Lawson (Healthcare Deals Team Lead) and Dr Zahra (Sub-national Team Lead) at PVAC, the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain.

Their surprising answer: "The problem is not availability of finance." It's getting businesses investment-ready, and making sure every state has the will, the buyers and the supply chains to deliver.

90+ businesses supported, 13 brought to term sheets with international investors
A US$200M fund for the "missing middle"

From drone delivery in riverine states to regional partnerships between governors

The series started with why Nigeria built PVAC. It ends with the money, the markets and the states that will make it real.

Listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2594473/episodes/19946518
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg2ytXLT8k8

Oncology trials depend on more than an approved protocol and a trained team. Before a patient can enrol, a sample has to...
08/10/2026

Oncology trials depend on more than an approved protocol and a trained team. Before a patient can enrol, a sample has to become a reliable, timely result that reaches the treating team.

This week's blog looks at why diagnostic capacity and research capacity in Africa should be planned together, from pathology turnaround to referral pathways and post-trial care.

Read the full blog: https://acrnhealth.com/2026/10/08/oncology-trials-in-africa-why-diagnostic-capacity-and-research-capacity-must-grow-together/

Why is there still no vaccine for this Ebola outbreak? ๐Ÿค”The Bundibugyo strain driving the DRC outbreak is different from...
05/10/2026

Why is there still no vaccine for this Ebola outbreak? ๐Ÿค”

The Bundibugyo strain driving the DRC outbreak is different from Ebola Zaire, so existing vaccines may not be enough. In this follow-up episode of the ACRN Health Podcast, Dr. Tariro Makadzange and Dr. Wilfred Gurupira explain what's happening in the vaccine pipeline, what Uganda got right and why Africa has to invest in science between crises, not just during them.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2594473/episodes/19888241-bundibugyo-africa-s-fight-against-a-new-ebola-threat
Watch now: https://youtu.be/nvgvRNgLz6I?si=ti08fVZgFqwWQxyW

๐€๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐šโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐œ๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ž ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ž๐ง ๐๐ž๐ž๐๐ฌ ๐š ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐Œ๐š๐ญ๐œ๐กAfrica's noncommunicable disease (NCD) resear...
01/10/2026

๐€๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐šโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐œ๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ž ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ž๐ง ๐๐ž๐ž๐๐ฌ ๐š ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐Œ๐š๐ญ๐œ๐ก

Africa's noncommunicable disease (NCD) research agenda goes beyond testing new products. It also means answering practical questions about treatments clinicians already use every day.

Trials like CREOLE and INTE-AFRICA show what that looks like: rigorous evidence generated in African settings and shaped around real treatment and service decisions.

In our latest blog, we look at what a deliberate NCD research portfolio needs: choosing the questions before the protocols, building on existing strengths and funding the full clinical pathway, not only the study visits.

Read the full piece: https://acrnhealth.com/2026/10/01/africas-noncommunicable-disease-burden-needs-a-research-portfolio-to-match/

When an outbreak hits, the question isn't just whether a vaccine candidate exists. It's whether trained teams are in pla...
24/09/2026

When an outbreak hits, the question isn't just whether a vaccine candidate exists. It's whether trained teams are in place, supply chains can deliver under pressure, ethics review can move at speed, and communities are prepared to engage with research.

Our latest article unpacks what climate-resilient trial preparedness actually looks like for Africa: the infrastructure between emergencies, the funding gaps that erode readiness, and why a research network has to function under disrupted conditions, not just on paper.

Read the full piece: https://acrnhealth.com/2026/09/24/climate-outbreaks-and-trial-preparedness-building-africas-rapid-response-research-capacity/

๐Ÿ“ข ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—น๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ | ๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—”๐—–๐—ฅ๐—ก ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต'๐˜€ ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฉ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธThe African Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is an A...
24/09/2026

๐Ÿ“ข ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—น๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ | ๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—”๐—–๐—ฅ๐—ก ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต'๐˜€ ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฉ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ

The African Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is an Africa-led organization dedicated to strengthening clinical research across the continent. We are building the infrastructure, capacity, and partnerships needed to deliver high-quality clinical trials that serve the populations who need them most.

As our research sites and operations grow, we invite vendors across Africa to register on our Approved Vendor List for current and upcoming procurement opportunities.

We currently have open opportunities across Laboratory & Medical Supplies, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices, IT & Office Equipment, Printing & Branded Merchandise, Facilities & Maintenance, and Specialist Services.

โœ… Register by 30 October 2026

https://procurement.acrncloud.com/

For any queries: [email protected]

Please share with suppliers in your network.

New Episode Alert!๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐——๐—˜ | ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ผ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜€? ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ'๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜†The clinical trials i...
23/09/2026

New Episode Alert!

๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐——๐—˜ | ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ผ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜€? ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ'๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜†

The clinical trials industry is worth over $60 billion globally. Africa, which carries a quarter of the world's disease burden, hosts only about 1.1% of global clinical trials.

In this powerful conversation, Dr Wilfred Gurupira and Dr. Huwaida Bulhan, MD, MPH, FFPM explore why African researchers are often implementing someone else's science rather than leading their own, and what needs to change for the continent to claim its rightful seat at the table.

This isn't just a health conversation. It's an economic one.

Listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2594473/episodes/19851282

Watch: https://youtu.be/vKEUDSnuV90

๐“๐ซ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐“๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ : ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‚๐ซ๐ž๐๐ข๐›๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐†๐š๐ฉ ๐€๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐š ๐‚๐š๐ง ๐‚๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐žIf a trial is completed but its results ne...
17/09/2026

๐“๐ซ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐“๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ : ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‚๐ซ๐ž๐๐ข๐›๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐†๐š๐ฉ ๐€๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐š ๐‚๐š๐ง ๐‚๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ž

If a trial is completed but its results never reported, who did it serve? African-led trials outpublish the global average, yet reporting timelines and registry posting still fall short. The gap is a capacity problem, not a suppression one, and closing it is how African-generated evidence earns its seat at the table.

Read more: https://acrnhealth.com/2026/09/17/trial-transparency-and-results-reporting-the-credibility-gap-africa-can-close/

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๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—ฆ | ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ก๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฎ'๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฉ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—ฉ๐—”๐—– ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜†As Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, PVAC's National Coordinator, argu...
11/09/2026

๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—ฆ | ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ก๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฎ'๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฉ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—ฉ๐—”๐—– ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜†

As Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, PVAC's National Coordinator, argues: "Nigeria is the only country in the world with a population of at least 100 million people that does not produce a majority of its essential healthcare commodities." Every year, Nigerians spend about $2 billion seeking healthcare abroad.

PVAC, the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), was created to change that. In Dr. Mukhtar's words, this is "medical industrialization."

Kicking off the PVAC Story series on the ACRN Health Podcast, Dr Wilfred Gurupira speaks with Dr Mukhtar, about why Nigeria can no longer outsource its health future, what dependency really costs a country of 230 million people, and what it will take to build the research, manufacturing, and delivery systems to take control.

This is the origin story of one of Africa's most ambitious health sector reforms, and it starts now.

Listen now: https://lnkd.in/d22dFSpJ
Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dVj-ssGx

From 7 to 9 September 2026, ACRN welcomed a Gates Foundation delegation led by Dr. Paulin Basinga, joined by Dr. David M...
11/09/2026

From 7 to 9 September 2026, ACRN welcomed a Gates Foundation delegation led by Dr. Paulin Basinga, joined by Dr. David Mukanga, Dr. Tendai Nyagura and Jasper Okoth.

The visit showcased the people, partnerships and innovation supporting African-led clinical research. A meeting with Mr. Richard Rukwata, Director-General of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), also highlighted the vital role of regulatory leadership in supporting this work.

Thank you to our visitors, MCAZ, the institutions that welcomed us and our team for making the visit possible!

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