Dakhla, Nov 23, GNA – The African Academy of Health Sciences (AAHS), launched Saturday in Dakhla, is a strategic project to advance healthcare in Africa through collective intelligence, said Lahcen Belyamani, President of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health.
Driven by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health, “the AAHS, headquartered in Dakhla — “the strategic heart of our beloved continent” — is a symbol of our commitment to a united, supportive, and sovereign Africa in health,” said Professor Belyamani in a speech delivered on his behalf by Youns Bjijou, Deputy Director of the Foundation in the presence of African experts in health.
The AAHS aims to be “a catalyst for education, research, and innovation, as well as a space for collective intelligence where experts, researchers, and institutions will come together to create synergies between our countries, responding in a more coordinated and effective way to our continent’s health challenges,” he underlined. “Together, we will strengthen South-South cooperation within the framework of African leadership.”
By working together, he emphasized, “we can transform the African Academy of Health Sciences into a platform for reflection, collaboration and knowledge sharing, one that will not only strengthen our healthcare systems but also provide our citizens with a healthier, more prosperous future.”
“We have a crucial role to play in shaping public health policies and creating an environment that fosters scientific innovation,” said Pr. Belyamani, highlighting the multiple, complex, and often urgent public health challenges facing Africa.
“Our shared vision is based on the belief that only collective, supportive and collaborative efforts can address the major challenges we face. Together, let us build the bridges for a united, solidarity-based, and sovereign Africa, where a modern, efficient and accessible healthcare system becomes a reality,” he concluded.
The African Academy of Health Sciences aims to promote excellence and innovation by stimulating research and development in the healthcare sector, creating a platform for exchange and collaboration, contextualizing results, adapting recommendations to African realities, and encouraging multicenter research.
It also aims to promote excellence in education, identify training programs tailored to Africa’s needs, and integrate new technologies.
According to the project’s founders, the goal is to pool expertise for better health in Africa, notably through networks of African experts, coordinated strategies, international research, and the dissemination of knowledge and best practices.
Spanning 47 hectares and accommodating 3,000 students, the AASS also seeks to establish strategic partnerships and develop a Big Data platform and an African Observatory. These initiatives will collect and analyze data to inform decision-making processes.
The launch ceremony of the Academy was attended by several figures, notably the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tahraoui, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, Mohamed Khalfaoui, and the Ambassador- General Director of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, Mohamed Methqal.