WANETAM holds High-Level Convening Workshop on Pan-African Health and Clinical Trials Data Sharing in Abuja

The West African Network of Excellence for TB, AIDS and Malaria (WANETAM), in collaboration with the Medical Research Council The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MRCG at LSHTM), organised a High-Level Convening Workshop on Pan-African Health and Clinical Trials Data Sharing, in partnership with Africa CDC. The event took place at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, from March 30-31, 2026.

Bringing together approximately 50 stakeholders, the two-day strategic convening focused on the urgent need for a unified African health data ecosystem. Discussions evolved from evaluating the current landscape and technical barriers to establishing a roadmap for data sovereignty and financial sustainability.

In their opening remarks, Dr Kokou Alinon (Africa CDC), Dr Davis Mwakanma (MRCG Director of Operations), Professor Assan Jaye (Scientific leader of WANETAM) and Ms Michelle Nderu (EDCTP Association) emphasised that data sharing is no longer optional but a prerequisite for African health security. They called for open generation and sharing of high-quality data to support research on the continent.

The technical sessions of the workshop started with keynote presentations on the State of African Health Research Data: Overview of the African Health Research Data Management Ecosystem. Delivered by African Population & Health Research Centre (APHRC) experts, Dr Agnes Kirraga and Mr. Bernard Sabiti, the presentations provided a detailed overview of the current ecosystem, highlighting existing silos and the need to address them.

Professor Toyin Togun (LSHTM/MRC Gambia) highlighted the untapped opportunities for continental collaboration. He expressed a wish to conclude the workshop with an Abuja Declaration on data sharing, stating that “the blueprint is ready in our minds”.  Additional presenters enriched the discussions by identifying key challenges undermining research data generation and sharing in Africa.

Dr Bubacarr Bah (LSHTM/MRC Gambia) led a plenary session on the Federated Data Sharing Platform. This model was championed as a way to safeguard data sovereignty, allowing institutions to share insights while retaining control over their primary data. His presentation was complemented by Mr Leonard Numfor Nkah, speaking on behalf of The Global Health Network (TGHN) and PRESERVE network, who argued that “collaborative data sovereignty” is the most viable model for Africa.

Participants also discussed other important issues, including language barriers, governance, ethics, local regulatory alignment, and the definition of “ownership” in a multi-country context.

To ensure the sustainability of this endeavour, participants discussed and elaborated on a five-year roadmap. This plan focuses on long-term financial sustainability and transitioning away from purely donor-dependent funding models.

The workshop concluded with an agreement on a prototype approach for a Pan-African platform. This consensus, referred to as the Abuja Declaration, marks a formal commitment to a medium- to long-term vision for a unified, sovereign health data management across the continent.

Article written by Jean Pierre Nguessan, WANETAM Project Manager