Africa’s Untapped Health Data: Inside the Mission to Transform Africa’s Health Data Economy with Estelle Dogbo

[00:00:00] You're listening to the Unlocking Africa Podcast. We are on a mission to transform the continent underutilized biobank infrastructure into globally trusted research-ready assets. Our goal is to support those institutions in making their data globally trusted while staying deeply rooted in local realities.

[00:00:21] We trust that the work we do is going to produce a new generation of scientists who can take the story of African science to the global stage. We want to make global science better by making African leadership more visible and impactful. And that's the table we are building. Stay tuned as we bring you inspiring people who are unlocking Africa's economic potential.

[00:00:46] You're listening to the Unlocking Africa Podcast with your host, Terser Adamu. Welcome to the Unlocking Africa Podcast where we find inspirational people who are doing inspirational things to unlock Africa's economic potential. Today, we have Estelle Dogbo, who is CEO and founding partner at BioVarna Research.

[00:01:14] BioVarna Research is a company that is reimagining how African health data is valued, governed and transformed into powerful R&D assets. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the podcast, Estelle. How are you? I'm very well. Thank you, Tessit, for having me. Oh, it's a pleasure having you on the podcast. I know from previous conversations, I always say, I love it when someone can pronounce my name correctly and you're one of the very few people.

[00:01:43] I'm very proud of that, actually. That's something I'm extremely proud of. Fantastic. I know you've listened to the podcast before. And as always, I like to start from the beginning. So I was hoping you can give us an introduction into who Estelle Dogbo is. Sure. So Estelle Dogbo is a healthcare entrepreneur. So I'm Togolese, but I like to call myself a child of Africa.

[00:02:10] I was born and raised in Côte d'Ivoire, lived in Togo for a bit, spent a lot of time in West African countries like Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, before moving to France, where I studied biology and biomedical science. I'm the second of a family of four children. I have a lot of nieces and nephews.

[00:02:37] I currently live between Lagos and Paris, but spend a lot of time on the African continent doing healthcare work related. I also love art and culture. I know that's not the topic of the conversation today, but I am deeply influenced by the richness of the cultural diversity in Africa. And I'm a patron of the arts as well. Fantastic.

[00:03:04] So leading on from that, we're here to talk about Biovana Research, which is a company that you founded and are doing really well, gaining some traction. Can you tell us a bit more about Biovana Research in terms of its aims, objectives, what you hope to achieve?

[00:03:23] Sure. So Biovana Research is an African rooted biomedical platform, and we are on a mission to transform the continent underutilized biobank infrastructure into globally trusted research ready assets. So what we are essentially doing is building Africa's first network of trusted, certified biobank.

[00:03:48] And by doing so, we activate high quality biospecimen and data sets for global research, pharma partnerships and ethical collaborations.

[00:03:58] What that means from a day to day point of view is we work with different institutions, biobank, existing hospitals who have research interests, and we help them structure the data sets into investable assets for research and job discovery. At the beginning, you gave us an overview of your professional experience.

[00:04:27] I know you've held senior roles at companies such as Sanofi, Roche and 54G. From these companies, was there any personal experience or professional realizations that actually led you to founding or starting Biovana? I did start my career in pharma, both global and local.

[00:04:50] So I have seen how global pharmaceutical firms operate, working across the spectrum from commercial to local public health intervention. And what's always stayed with me is how invisible African institutions often are, even when they are doing world class work.

[00:05:11] And during my time at 54G, I gained valuable insight into both the promise and the complexities of integrating African information into global health landscape. And that experience helped inspire the creation of Biovana research, which was founded on the belief that Africa should engage in global research as an equal partner, championing local collaboration while contributing meaningfully to global innovation.

[00:05:41] Interesting. So what would you say the transition was like from being a commercial leader in a global pharma company to becoming a founder focused specifically on African health data infrastructure? So it was both empowering and clarifying. In pharma, you benefit from mature systems and skill. But as a founder, you are designing from scratch, often in real time.

[00:06:09] And Biovana research was co-founded by myself and Dr. Jumi Popola. And our partnership is deeply shaped by experience and mutual understanding of the work at hand. We didn't just align on vision. We survived the fires of early biotech in Africa. Together, we were the frontline during COVID, managing complex operations, clinical rollout and deep scientific work under pressure.

[00:06:38] And that showed us what systems break, what truly works and what truly matters when building infrastructure that's meant to last. This became the foundation of how we need today. Brilliant. What would you say are some of the lessons from your time in Big Pharma that you're specifically applying now or unlearning at Biovana? Right.

[00:07:05] What I've brought forward, I believe, is discipline. Pharma teaches you to focus on regulatory strengths, ethical safeguards and strategic foresight. And what I've had to unlearn is how we define value. In Big Pharma, the numbers are huge and skill can sometimes mask real impact. But at Biovana, our intent is to prioritize impact over scale.

[00:07:33] The work that we do in essence, certifying and elevating existing data sets by ensuring the infrastructure around the data is sound, consented and contextually aligned. And our goal is to support those institutions in making their data globally trusted while staying deeply rooted in local realities. We believe that the value is in the impact that is made.

[00:07:59] And by establishing those strong foundations, the scale can follow in a more sustainable way. Interesting. So you say that one of the things that you had to unlearn is what is perceived or seen as value, which sometimes can also lead to misinterpretation in terms of what is valued, stored, collected and disseminated. Absolutely. Yeah.

[00:08:25] So was there a defining moment when you realized that Africa needed to own its own health data story? Because a lot of the health data is, I guess, led by Big Pharma. Yes. And interestingly, in my journey, when I transitioned from Big Pharma to working into deep science, it was right around the pandemic.

[00:08:50] And I saw local researchers struggling to access data sets they had helped build. And that disconnect between their contribution and access makes something extremely clear. For me, that was a defining moment. If we don't take ownership of our narrative from the beginning, we'll always be relegated to the margins, no matter how central our data is.

[00:09:14] And to me, that is something I've carried with me, founding Biovana. It's extremely important that researchers recognize themselves as the stewards of the scientific excellence that we are about to deliver. You touched on African researchers needing access to their own data sets. They're owning their own data.

[00:09:39] For listeners unfamiliar with the concept, how would you describe a biobank and why does Africa need its own trusted biobanking infrastructure? A biobank is essentially a library of biological samples, say blood or tissue linked to clinical and demographic information.

[00:10:02] So, for example, this is blood with its history of clinical relevance, you know, as Tessa had malaria. What are the different components of his health care information that can be linked to, you know, his blood sample? These resources are essential for research into disease, drug development and diagnostics.

[00:10:31] And actually, biobank already exists in Africa. They are not new. But at this stage, the real challenge we are facing is about having trusted, well-governed biobanks that are aligned with scientific priorities and capable of equitable partnership with global institutions. Fantastic. So you're talking about partnerships with local institutions.

[00:10:55] So how do you ensure that local institutions aren't just data suppliers, but become long term stakeholders in the global health research? At Bayovana, one priority for us is making sure that African scientists are visible. I mean, we are talking about the continent of 1.2 billion people. We represent 15% of the population globally.

[00:11:20] We can no longer be treated or treat ourselves as peripheral to global science. Our voice needs to represent the force of our population and the world is beginning to recognize our demographic force. So the spotlight is on us first to deliver quality, not just the numbers.

[00:11:40] So research must be driven from within the continent so that we can contribute in an equitable way to the global innovation being shaped. And our approach is collaborative, focused on creating value locally first. We start by strengthening governance, ethical clarity and research alignment at institutional level.

[00:12:05] That way, the biobank and its surrounding ecosystem can derive benefits directly before any global collaboration even begins. And we see ourselves as the players that ensure the data coming out of those institutions reflects the excellence of the work that they do. The data is solid, meaningful and grounded in patient and institutional realities.

[00:12:30] When that foundation is strong, global partnership becomes a space for mutual respect and shared leadership. You touched on the visibility elements, you know, by Avana isn't just a data platform. It's a visibility engine. Can you explain what that actually means in real terms and practice?

[00:12:51] So what that means is what we do is we create pathways for African researchers and institutions to be seen and cited. I will give an example from a stakeholder I was interacting with a few weeks ago who just came from the World Health Conference in Geneva and was sharing the disappointments on how they were unable to contribute to some of the conversations on the global scene.

[00:13:21] Right. So we hope and we believe that the work we are doing with Biovana would empower such stakeholders to have the voice more present at those global platforms, but also drive more authorship.

[00:13:39] It's becoming more and more important that the clinical data coming out of Africa, the scientific papers deriving from them represents what we actually know, our knowledge, that we are able to tell our own story. So that's what we mean by not just being a platform, but the visibility engine.

[00:13:59] We trust that the work we do is going to produce a new generation of scientists who can take the story of African science to the global stage. I guess it's safe to say that this work depends on strong partnerships. What kind of partnerships would you say Biovana enables, but also how do you also vet for ethical alignment in these collaborations?

[00:14:27] We are very intentional about who we work with. We seek out partners who are not only serious about research excellence, but who value ethically curated high integrity data. Alignment to us is an ongoing conversation about the purpose of the work at hand, how access is defined, how long-term accountability is structured.

[00:14:53] So we prioritize collaborators who understand or seek to understand that African stakeholders are meant to see words, the knowledge and co-author scientific discovery. Brilliant. And I guess with this research or the infrastructure built has to be almost autonomous and not led or influenced by external players or factors.

[00:15:18] So how do you build infrastructure that is rooted in local realities rather than imposed by outside donors or companies? For me, it looks like slowing down enough to listen. Whether we are in a conversation with the chief medical director or lab technician in a rural area, people will tell you what they need.

[00:15:44] And if you are willing to meet them on their terms, you automatically unlock big value chain where trust is built from the get-go. But it also looks like paying attention to what others are doing globally and what pieces of those working systems can be infused in our local context. I've learned that African health system infrastructure begins with trust. It begins with cultural values and community rhythm.

[00:16:14] So we work backwards from those foundation and co-design systems that are durable, not just deployable. So leading on from that, what would you say are some of the operational blind spots international health partners often have when engaging with African institutions? So disclosure before answering this question, I believe that we've had a big role to play on, you know,

[00:16:39] this perception of blind spots that international health partners have when they engage with us. And one major assumption is that African institutions are not ready to lead. The truth is many of us are already leading, but we are doing so without recognition or sustained support. And another blind spot is the assumption that our existing system are too broken to be integrated.

[00:17:06] So instead of strengthening what's already there, we often see brand new tools being imposed that don't necessarily fit the local context. And what that creates is friction, fatigue, and in some cases, failure. At Biovana Research, we work with what's on ground, with existing systems and capacities.

[00:17:28] I guess a challenge of this is often African health data has been undervalued or even exploited in global R&D pipelines. Why would you say that has happened? It's a complex issue. Of course, we are aware of some of the exploitative patterns that existed many, many decades ago.

[00:17:59] But now I believe that part of it is visibility. If your systems are not digitized or aligned with global data format, it's easier for others to overlook your contributions. But I also think that it comes down to engagement. If our institutions are not well-networked or represented in global consortia, the value isn't always recognized. But that's slowly changing.

[00:18:25] And we are encouraged by how many conversations today are focused on inclusion, even at very high regulatory levels, where more and more global pharma companies are finding the pressures of having to include underrepresented data, with quality and trust in mind. So now we are not just joining the conversation, we are helping to shape it.

[00:18:50] So what would you say are some of the technical or regulatory bottlenecks that prevent African data from being globally competitive? Well, I think one of the biggest challenges is fragmentation. Fragmentation at many levels, from regulatory environments to unhaven infrastructure to a lack of harmonization process across regions.

[00:19:15] Africa is a continent of 54 countries and 54 realities. And, you know, these are not just bureaucratic issues. They often slow down good science and limit the African participation in global research. We are not waiting for perfect conditions. We work alongside the ethic boards, data custodians and ministry to strengthen what's already there,

[00:19:41] whether it's streamlining constant processes or integrating overlooked systems. We position ourselves as a problem solving partners. And our vision is to raise the floor, because if our data is going to shape the future of global health, it needs to be trusted, usable and protected. But it's difficult. It's not an easy work to do.

[00:20:05] We have to be very aware of the realities of even at community level. And that's the strength of Bayovana is we are willing to do that work. A lot of this comes down to data sovereignty in terms of equity, ownership and ethics. So in your view, what would you say data sovereignty actually looks like on the ground in African research institutions?

[00:20:34] And I'm happy that you've positioned this question in clarifying the African context, because sovereignty can sound like a very complicated word where everybody thinks control immediately. Right. But to me, it's also about participation with dignity. Yes. It's about African institutions being part of the design and oversight of these research projects from day one or day two.

[00:21:03] But as early as possible, right? That includes making sure that the consenting frameworks are localized, that the government terms are transparent, and ensuring that local realities are reflected on how the studies are structured. So when sovereignty is present in that context, science becomes more inclusive and the outcomes are more relevant, both for African and global communities.

[00:21:32] As you touched on there, sovereignty is not just about the ownership, but in terms of the work that you're doing, how do you balance open scientific collaboration with the need to protect and also control African-owned data? We don't see protection and collaboration as opposing forces. We see them as collaborative values instead.

[00:21:56] It's very possible to open doors while still, you know, knowing who has the keys. Right. By Ovana, we advocate for models where African institutions can share the data ethically and confidently because they've been part of setting the design. It's about building a culture of mutual accountability where the local ethics board and scientific voices remain central throughout the process

[00:22:22] and maintain the right to say yes or no. And that's extremely important for future collaboration globally. Fantastic. I know you've said earlier in terms of Africa doesn't just need a seat at the table. It needs to own its own table, whether that's data, policy or however you see it. But what does that ownership look like in practical terms?

[00:22:52] So I would say that owning the table in this context is having the confidence and the capacity to shape outcome, not just to contribute input. We believe that Africans are already doing excellent work. But what we are lacking is co-authoring papers, driving designs, sharing research priorities that reflect our health realities.

[00:23:19] We are now seeing a rise in non-communicable disease in Africa faster than anywhere else in the world. And those are trends and conversations that we need to start having now. It means that we are building platforms that are viable, trusted and rooted in our own ecosystem, taking into consideration our real truth. We want to make global science better by making African leadership more visible and impactful.

[00:23:49] And that's the table we are building. All of this requires strong vision, insight, leadership. Looking at yourself as a founder, what does leadership look like when you're building for long-term equity, not just short-term scale, which is what you're doing? Yes. For me, leadership is about showing up consistently, even when no one is watching.

[00:24:17] It may sound a bit cliche, but it's about investing in relationships, not just transactions. Especially in the context of African health, long-term equity means building with care. It means we are okay taking the slower routes if it means more institutions strive, more data gets used meaningfully, and more lives are ultimately improved.

[00:24:44] Jumi and I have learned to measure impact beyond just the outputs of the numbers. How many data sets, you know, can you certify in a particular period of time? But who gets empowered along the way? So in line with this, I guess, with the industry that you're working in, it's fast moving. There's a lot of innovation. There's a lot of data trends come and go.

[00:25:09] Are there any current trends that you're seeing in how health data is valued, governed and transformed into powerful only assets? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I wouldn't, I couldn't have this conversation without talking about AI. Obviously. I'm extremely, I know there's a lot of conversation. It gets really noisy.

[00:25:33] But if I were to narrow this down to the work we are doing and the personal interest I do have in AI, the most exciting aspect of it for me is how we can reimagine what is possible, especially when working with scarce longitudinal data.

[00:25:53] Most biobanks and hospitals in our environment don't have consistent long-term data like in the US or in Europe when we're talking about 20, 30 years longitudinal information, right?

[00:26:09] But AI, what AI can do for us in Africa, especially with well-governed African data sets, we can train models that predict, extrapolate and simulate patient journeys in ways that are both ethical and context-aware. And this is a continent that is so rich, versatile, and our data can be traceable. It is something that I find incredibly powerful.

[00:26:37] It tells stories that haven't been heard in mainstream science. And when AI is built on that foundation, we would leap forward. Where do you see the biggest African-led innovation in health data? Where do you see it in the next five, 10 years? The risk of sounding repetitive.

[00:26:58] I think that once we embed ethical AI, we would immediately benefit from decentralized diagnostics, for example, or we will strengthen cohort-based research. But at the core, it all comes back to infrastructure. Our infrastructure is going to get better. We will have embedded ethics and institutional infrastructure into our work. And the innovations coming out of Africa won't just be solving African problems.

[00:27:27] They will offer new ways to think healthcare differently from a global point of view. Looking closer to home, what is the future for BioVana? Where do you see the company in the next five to 10 years? We are laying the foundation to become the gold standard for biobank certification and visibility. And in the next five years, we hope to have certified over 100 institutions.

[00:27:53] And beyond Africa, we believe that we can build a model for the global South that centers patient and ethics while establishing trustworthy framework for skill. In 10 years, we want to be influencing policy. We are already actively positioning ourselves to do that. We are not always loud, but we are reshaping the science quietly and intentionally. Fantastic.

[00:28:23] And I look forward to seeing that. Quote of the week. As people, we often have quotes, mantras, proverbs, or affirmations that keep us going when times are challenging or when times are good. Do you have one that you can share with us today? Oh, yes. And I was looking forward to share a Togolese proverb, obviously. Brilliant. There's a Togolese proverb that says even the smallest fire can cook a meal.

[00:28:51] And it reminds me that you don't need to be loud or have everything figured out to make an impact. Small, consistent effort done with care can feed entire systems and change the future drastically. Brilliant. And very fitting in terms of today's conversation. Founding a company, scaling for impact. Brilliant. Thank you for sharing that with us today, Estelle.

[00:29:17] This conversation has been a definite reminder that the future of global health, African health, will be shaped by people such as yourself, who are bold enough to reimagine the systems we sometimes take for granted. Thank you for joining us today and sharing your knowledge, your vision, and what you're actually doing on ground. Thank you so much, Estelle. It was such a pleasure having this conversation with you. Speak soon. Thank you.

[00:29:45] Thank you to everyone who has listened and stayed tuned to the podcast. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, or tell a friend about it. You can also rate, review us in Apple Podcasts or wherever you download your podcast. Thank you and see you next week for the Unlocking Africa podcast.