Unlocking Africa's future through homegrown child brain research

Estimated 29 million children are living with developmental delays and disabilities.[Courtesy]

Across Eastern and Southern Africa, an estimated 29 million children are living with developmental delays and disabilities. Yet despite the scale of the challenge, scientists say one critical ingredient remains in short supply: African-led research that can explain how children’s brains develop in local contexts and identify solutions that work for African families.

This gap in knowledge, and the urgent need to close it, was at the centre of discussions during the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Aga Khan University Institute for Human Development (IHD) in Nairobi.