Aurum Group Chief Operating Officer Prof Vinodh Edward has been named one of Speak Up Africa’s 2025 African Voices of Science (AVoS) Champions, joining a continental cohort of leaders working to strengthen African voices in health research, policy and innovation.
Selected from a competitive cohort of health research and development leaders across Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and South Africa, Prof Edward joins a prestigious group committed to advancing African-led science, influencing policy and driving more equitable investment in health research.
In this Q&A, he reflects on what the appointment means to him, why African scientists must be more visible in global health decision-making, and how evidence can move beyond journals and conferences to shape policies that improve people’s lives.
“Thought leadership means being willing to engage beyond academic spaces, with policymakers, communities, funders, regulators, and the public. It is about asking not only “what does the data show?”, but also “what should change because of this evidence?”
What does taking on this role with African Voices of Science mean to you, and what made you want to take it on?
Taking on this role with African Voices of Science is both an honour and a responsibility. For me, it is an opportunity to contribute to a stronger, more visible African scientific voice in the global health space — particularly at a time when many decisions affecting African health systems are still made without sufficient African leadership at the centre.
I wanted to take on the role because I believe African researchers and institutions have generated important evidence, built strong research infrastructure, and contributed meaningfully to global health advances, but we are not always equally represented in the policy and financing conversations that follow. AVoS creates a platform to help close that gap.
Why is it particularly important for African scientists and researchers to use their voices and shape the global science and health agenda at this point in time?
This is an important moment because global health priorities and financing models are changing. African countries continue to carry a major burden of HIV, TB, non-communicable diseases, and emerging health threats, but the global health environment is becoming more uncertain and more competitive.
If African scientists are not actively shaping the agenda, there is a risk that research priorities, product development, access models, and funding decisions will continue to be shaped elsewhere. African researchers bring direct knowledge of local epidemics, health systems, communities, and implementation realities. That perspective is essential if science is to translate into real health impact.
When we talk about “thought leadership”, what does that mean in practice? Is it simply about producing good research, or is there a responsibility to take that evidence into policy, public debate and decision-making?
Good research is the foundation, but thought leadership must go further than producing evidence. It means helping to interpret that evidence, communicate it clearly and ensure it informs decisions that affect people’s lives.
For me, thought leadership means being willing to engage beyond academic spaces, with policymakers, communities, funders, regulators, and the public. It is about asking not only “what does the data show?”, but also “what should change because of this evidence?” In public health, evidence that does not reach policy or practice has limited value.
“If African scientists do not speak to policy debates, others will speak on our behalf.”
Are African scientists sometimes too cautious about speaking up? If so, what holds them back, and what needs to change?
Yes, I think African scientists can sometimes be cautious about speaking up, and there are understandable reasons for that. Many researchers work within complex funding, institutional and political environments. There may be concerns about being seen as too critical, too political, or outside one’s scientific role.
But that caution can come at a cost. If African scientists do not speak to policy debates, others will speak on our behalf. What needs to change is that institutions, funders, and research networks must create more space for African researchers to engage publicly and confidently. We also need to value policy engagement and advocacy as part of scientific leadership, not as something separate from it.
What are the conversations that African scientists and health leaders need to be having more loudly right now, particularly in the face of changing global health priorities and funding?
We need to speak more clearly about African health sovereignty. That includes how we finance research, how we build and retain scientific capacity, how we manufacture medicines and diagnostics locally, and how we govern African health data.
We also need to be having more honest conversations about access. Scientific breakthroughs only matter if the people who need them can actually benefit from them. Whether we are talking about long-acting HIV prevention, vaccines, diagnostics, TB medicines or NCD care, African countries need to be involved not only as trial sites or markets, but as leaders in research, manufacturing, regulation, implementation, and priority setting.
What role can Aurum play in strengthening African scientific voices, and what would success look like for you through African Voices of Science?
Aurum has an important role to play because of its long history in clinical research, implementation science, and public health delivery across Africa. We have the experience, partnerships, and platforms to help generate evidence that is relevant to African health systems, and to support researchers in translating that evidence into policy and practice.
Success through African Voices of Science would mean seeing more African scientists influencing the debates that shape health research, innovation, and access on the continent. It would mean African expertise being visible not only in publications and conferences, but also in policy briefs, media debates, regulatory discussions, financing decisions, and global health negotiations. Ultimately, success would be when African scientific leadership is not treated as an addition to the global health conversation, but as central to it.