Malaria, TB, & HIV: Why African scientists are now raising their voices in the fight.

It’s a community health worker walking miles to deliver a treatment that should never have been missing in the first place. It’s also a civil servant who struggles to afford proper care for his sick child because the cost of essential medicines is simply beyond his monthly income.

These realities remind us that science alone does not end diseases; funding also does.

Across Africa, we have made progress that was once unthinkable: free antiretroviral treatment, free long-lasting insecticides treated nets (LLINs) mass campaigns, the rollout of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), tuberculosis case detection campaigns, and the world’s first malaria vaccine. These achievements were not accidents. They were made possible by strategic investments from global partners like the Global Fund and the work of researchers, governments, and communities.

But progress is fragile. Cameroon still records over 6 million malaria cases a year, while Tuberculosis notifications are rising, and nearly half a million people live with HIV. The truth is our health systems remain chronically underfunded, with less than 5 per cent of the national budget devoted to health, far below the 15 per cent Abuja commitment.

As a public health specialist and researcher, my own doctoral work explores how data and policy can guide smarter malaria prevention strategies, linking seasonal patterns, drug resistance, and climate variability. But research can only drive change when systems are ready to absorb it. That means predictable financing, trained personnel, and resilient community networks.

This is why I joined the Voices of the Fight, a cohort of young African scientists supported by Impact Santé Afrique (ISA) under the GFAN Africa network. Our mission is simple but urgent: to turn scientific evidence into advocacy and ensure that African countries stand behind their commitments to fund health. After last year’s Global Fund replenishment summit and the worrying funding gaps from key donor countries, we are doubling down on the call for increased domestic investments and renewed global solidarity. Some donors reduced their contributions promises and it is very alarming.

Because every dollar invested in health returns not only in lives saved but also in economic productivity, education, and social stability. Health financing is not charity; it is nation-building.

Cameroon and its neighbours have the talent, data, and community spirit needed to strengthen their systems. What we need now is the courage to prioritize health in our national budgets and the vision to sustain partnerships that work.

In the end, the fight against malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS is also a fight for equity, and the belief that no one should die of a preventable disease simply because of where they were born or how much they earn.

As scientists and advocates, we must keep telling that story until no child’s life depends on chance, but on choice. It is #OneWorldOneFight!

By Dr Junior Voundi Voundi, Public Health Specialist and member of the “Voices of the Fight” scientific cohort.