About 1Day Africa

1Day Africa is the African Chapter of 1Day Sooner, an international non-profit organization that advocates for people who want to participate in high-impact medical trials, including COVID-19 challenge trials.

The African Chapter of 1Day Sooner works to implement strategic goals of 1Day Sooner that are applicable to the unique context of the continent. Africa faces many healthcare systems that have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for future pandemic preparedness on the continent. 1Day’s Africa Chapter is working with student led associations and universities on the continent to promote medical and scientific research. This is a way of setting the continent on the path towards healthcare autonomy that will lead to Africa participating as an equal partner in the development of medicines to be used by its citizens.

The African Chapter is the extra mile in 1Day Sooner’s efforts towards global and vaccine equity by leading advocacy and sensitization campaigns that aim to draw marginalized voices from the African continent into the covid-19 conversations. We fully believe that, before we can have equity in access to vaccines and other covid-19 therapeutics, there first must be equity in the scientific process. This means, allowing for people in LMICs (as well those in Africa) to be involved in research— as researchers as well as trialists. Most importantly, advocacy that fights for a fair and equal access to vaccines must be spearheaded by the very voices of the marginalized populations.

Find our past newsletters here.

The 1Day Africa Team

Featured

Zacharia Kafuko

Director

Molecular Biochemist and Mandela Washington Fellow (ASU)

Devon Jarvis

Research Lead (volunteer)

PhD Candidate and Lecturer at University of the Witwatersrand

Inutu Kaluba

Volunteer

Inutu Kaluba has a Degree in Human Biology at the university of Zambia. Currently a Final year medical student at university of Zambia and stage 3 Masters of Public health(MPH) candidate at the University of Lusaka (UNILUS). Inutu is Passionate about medical research and community development.

Alhassan Ibrahim Abubakar

Volunteer

Alhassan Ibrahim Abubakar is a Ghanaian and a multiple award winning radio presenter/journalist. He enjoys working with people that have a strong desire to make a positive change in the lives of people.

Landilani Tembo

Volunteer

Landilani Tembo is a dedicated junior medical doctor who is passionate about vaccinations, public health, non-communicable diseases and how they all inter-relate. Fervent advocate for medical students’ vaccination against hepatitis B virus.

Dhruv Darji

Volunteer

Dhruv is a medical doctor from Zambia. He is interested public health and epidemiology, and is currently pursuing a masters at the University of Oxford. Dhruv loves running mentorship program with 1Day Africa and connecting with medical students through it.

Esther Danquah

Volunteer

Esther Priscilla B. Danquah is a Physician Specialist - Public Health, Municipal Director of Health Service and a member of the National Chemoprevention Expert Committee in Ghana. She is a Mandela Washington Fellow (SU). Esther is passionate about Research, leadership, health policy and management.

Featured

Abdulrahman Banisheyba

Malaria Country Lead

Abdul is a Zanzibari and Tanzanian Policy Advocate and Researcher with focus in Coastal Affairs and Global Health and Development.

Jean-Vincent Lamien

Malaria Country Lead

Jean-Vincent Lamien is a medical doctor and a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow from Burkina Faso. He is a clinician investigator in the clinical trial of the malaria vaccine R21/Matrix M at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro. Jean-Vincent is passionate about vaccinology, health policy, and management. He advocates for equitable distribution and accessibility of the malaria vaccine in Africa.

Thandiwe Ngoma

Malaria Country Lead

Thandiwe is a Public Health Specialist with 10+ years experience in public health work.

Featured

Melaku Zengeta

Oversight Committee

Melaku is Executive Director of Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD). He is a disability rights advocate with interdisciplinary areas of expertise in disability and development with more than eight years development and implementation of high impact disability inclusive development programs. Melaku co-founded and currently serves as Vice President at the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association. Melaku holds an MSW in Social Work, LLB in law and BA in Public Administration and Development Management.

Bwalya Maketo

Oversight Committee

Bwalya is a seasoned educator that is passionate about using her experiences and skills to empower women & girls through alternative educational interventions. Bwalya holds a BA in Education & an MA in Development Studies.

Kayan Leung

Oversight Committee

Kayan is an activist and human rights lawyer. She has worked with vulnerable groups over the past 10 years to ensure that they are empowered, their voices are represented, and their rights are realized through an intersectional feminist approach.

Stephen Agbenyo

Oversight Committee

Stephen Agbenyo is a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Social Science of the St. Paul’s University in Kenya. He is the Executive Director of Savana Signatures, a Ghanaian based Non Profit Organisation and also a Part Time Lecturer at the Tamale Technical University.

Simon Marot Touloung

Oversight Committee

Simon received a B.Sc. In Petroleum Geoscience and Production at Makerere University through an exclusive DAFI Scholarship. Marot is currently pursuing a MSc. in Energy Economics and Governance at Makerere University Business School- Kampala. As a Youth Leader, Marot Co-founded the South Sudan Science Club (SSSC) whose focus is environmental protection and Climate Change.

Lily Okeyo

Oversight Committee

Lily Okeyo is the founder of Work Her Dream Organization. She is a trained psychologist with a Bachelor of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Moi University in Kenya.

“When I first signed up as a potential COVID-19 human challenge trial volunteer, I only wanted to help end the pandemic. I felt it was important to be part of the solution at a time when the world was facing a prolific virus and losing. Of course over time, the landscape of the pandemic has been changing and needs have been likewise changing. This has reshaped the conversation around what is needed most in Africa. What has not changed is the desire and will to be of assistance, to be part of the solution even as the scenario shifts”

— Zacharia Kafuko