Annual Report 2021: The Cogs that Turn the APHRC Machine

Abstract

After 20 years of independent operations, our vision to transform lives in Africa through research is shaping up. It is a bold vision that cannot be achieved single-handedly. Therefore, we have embraced the practice of weavingwe have developed networks and partnerships across our programmatic areas, in different sectors, with organizations operating at different levels across and within decision-making spaces, and organizations with different mandates in all sub regions of the continent and beyond. We have woven partnerships by aligning, learning, and collaborating with critical institutions that impact the continent’s development including civil society, academic institutions, funders, government agencies, multilateral organizations, and grassroots organizations among others. Our collaboration with the African Union Commission (AU), UNECA1, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has resulted in the increased awareness about the need for an aging agenda. APHRC’s research has been used within the ‘AU Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Aging in Africa’. It has informed the ‘Africa Common Position on the Rights of Older People’ and the ‘Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa’. The Center has also developed practical guidelines to improve older people’s wellbeing in Africa ‘Towards Long-term Care Systems in sub- Saharan Africa’. At the same time, the Center is cognizant of the impact of gender inequality on women, from the unequal burden of unpaid care work, mental health, economic empowerment and sexual and gender based violence. It is for this reason that the Center is engaging in multi-year partnerships with stakeholders to advance Africa-led research and policy engagement on violence against women and girls, and maternal health. Under the Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa initiative (IMCHA), APHRC has been working on strengthening individual and institutional research capacity, enabling national-level ownership of research, building coherence, and facilitating mutual learning. Between 2014 and 2022, IMCHA built a network of committed actors, highlighting the need for evidence-informed decision making on maternal and child health.