Is Africa part of the partnership?

Abstract

This essay presents an African perspective on medical research partnerships done in Africa. While African institutions have a long history of establishing research partnerships with Western institutions it is important to assess how they have been contributing to this relationship. After describing how partnerships are established and how they currently function for many institutions, I discuss how mutual and antagonistic interests can affect those global health relationships that finish in ‘divorce’. I end with defining the place of Africa in its partnerships with Western institutions in medical research, and argue for a new mind-set that would bolster African ownership and funding of research done in Africa.