INITIATIVE: Partnership essential to help gain momentum with building continental drug discovery ecosystem…

By Isaac Moledi

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and H3D Foundation have announced a renewed partnership between the two organisations to boost the skills needed to drive drug discovery and development in Africa.

The new three-year phase collaboration, started between the two organisations in 2021, aimed to boost the skills and capacity needed to drive increased research and development of new medicines in Africa. It was also to provide early and mid-career scientists in Africa with new opportunities to develop their skills to help address this challenge.

According to the two global bodies, despite 20% of the global burden of disease impacting people living in Africa, only 2% of the medical research focused on new infections originates on the continent.

So, for the next three years, the partnership is expected to tackle issues such as strengthening health systems, expanding the innovation ecosystem value chain and addressing barriers for African scientists to break new ground within the drug discovery-related sciences.

In a statement recently, Richard Amewu, Principal Investigator, Drug Innovation Group at the  University of Ghana, said the IFPMA partnership with H3D Foundation had lent credibility to the continent, unlocking further international investment in drug discovery research and development.

“The continuation of the partnership between IFPMA and H3D Foundation is essential to allow us to continue to gain momentum with building the African drug discovery ecosystem and to address critical gaps in research capacity, capabilities and infrastructure.”

Speaking from the Conference on Public Health in Africa in Lusaka where the collaboration announcement was made, Prof Kelly Chibale, Chairman and CEO of H3D-F, said this partnership had also catalyzed interactions with representatives from the innovative pharmaceutical industry at both local and international levels.

IFPMA Assistant Director- General, Greg Prerry, believed attracting, developing and nurturing scientific talent and innovation at local level will help ensure that the African continent will be part of the innovation ecosystem value chain and healthy innovation.  “We are confident that our continued partnership with H3D Foundation is a sustainable investment in Africa’s health ecosystem and we look forward to what we will achieve together in the next three years.”

Representing more than 90 innovative pharmaceutical companies and associations around the world, the IFPMA’s aim is to discover, develop and deliver medicines and vaccines that advance global health. The H3D Foundation on the other hand supports drug innovation and science in Africa through initiatives to strengthen capacity, collaboration and advocacy for African research centres.

EMBRACING GROWTH THROUGH FEARLESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP

GOALS: W-Suite hosts mentorship masterclass to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Month…

By WSAM Reporter

Receiving advice and guidance from a mentor can be life-changing on the journey to making it as an entrepreneur.

Irish French economist, Richard Cantillon defines entrepreneurs as “risk-takers” in the late 17th century and the sentiment stands true today, as it requires courage of them to take risks to succeed. In a landscape where female growth can be stunted, mentorship can provide innumerable advantages to both a mentor and a mentee for professional and personal growth, says Cantillon. Mentorship also offers the opportunity to stay focused and on track towards making your goals a reality.

Since its inception, the W-Suite movement has always placed importance on the benefits of mentorship and having more women in key leadership and operational roles across C-Suite organisations.

An advocacy group, W-Suite is driven by a vision is to make room for women by pushing for the acceleration of women leaders in positions of power and influence “and to co-create a new culture of power and influence that is inclusive and drives meaningful participation of women in the development of thriving communities, strong female economy and a great nation”.

W-Suite hosted a mentorship masterclass as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Month, which is celebrated from November 13 to 19 annually, to create a platform of access for mentors and mentees. The month is used to mobilise global communities to recognise and honoure the far-reaching impact that entrepreneurs have. During this celebration, pioneers and visionaries come together from across the globe to find ways to further worldwide economic growth.

To commemorate Global Entrepreneurship Month this year, W-Suite hosted an intimate mentorship masterclass that took place on November 29 at Hotel Sky in Sandton. The session was hosted by serial entrepreneur, mentor and W-Suite founder Katie Mohamed.

In her address, Mohamed presented the ultimate guide on being fearless, embracing growth and evolving into the most powerful version of yourself. The masterclass also offered attendees the platform to begin or continue their transformative journey of self-discovery, nurturing emotional intelligence and mastering effective communication.

Last month, Global Entrepreneurship Network celebrated 15 years of helping millions of people unleash their ideas to start and scale new businesses through Global Entrepreneurship Week. The campaign began in 2008 with an emphasis on inspiring young people to make their mark and has quickly grown to become a comprehensive effort that engages entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, support organizations and others collaborating to advance economic growth and innovation in more than 180+ countries around the world.

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) used the commemorative week to rally almost every nation in the world to empower entrepreneurs and encourage citizens to become starters – finding new and better ways of doing things.

In the wake of the pandemic and its impact, GEW 2023 also marked a call to action for societies to be resilient and come together in leveraging the power of new ideas and innovation for the benefit of all.