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.

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The 1Day Africa Team

Featured

Zacharia Kafuko

Director

Molecular Biochemist and Mandela Washington Fellow (ASU)

Devon Jarvis

Research Lead

MSc Candidate in Computer Science at the University of the Witwatersrand

Bertha Ndumbe

First Communications Lead

Bertha serves as 1Day Africa’s Communication Lead and Social Media Manager.

Namunji Matale

Second Communications Lead

Namunji Matale is a 1Day Africa volunteer and medical graduate from The University of Zambia, formerly president of the University of Zambia Medical Students Association (UNZAMEDSA). Namunji is passionate about women’s health issues. She is a strong advocate for gender equality and helping survivors of sexual violence.

Melaku Zengeta

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.

Jean-Vincent Lamien

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.

Dhruv Darji

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.

Thandiwe Ngoma

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

Abdulrahman Banisheyba

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

Kayan Leung

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.

Simon Marot Touloung

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.

“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