The gratification from healing someone’s pain or saving a life of someone near death is indescribable. Having said that, Africa needs scientists, ten… - Catherine Kyobutungi

A bigger problem is the value of research to society, especially to the communities from which the data is collected. Because research is conceptualized without input from African researchers and other stakeholders, it ends up being of academic value only, without taking into account how the results could help shape policy and practice.

In addition, the fact that we are an independent research institution, rather than a government-run organisation, makes it harder to forge and maintain long-term relationships with policy makers, especially those in government.

am affected by the dysfunction in the global health system whereby problems and their solutions are defined by ‘experts’, who don’t have any lived experiences and who have a poor understanding of the local context.