We exist so that African research reaches the evidence that shapes decisions.

Africa produces research that is locally grounded and urgently needed, on diseases, health systems and social conditions that no outside team understands as well as African researchers do. Yet too much of it never travels further than a thesis, a dissertation or a project report.

Many researchers across Africa and other low- and middle-income countries work with limited access to paid databases and journals, few methodological mentors, little protected time for writing and little funding for publication. The result is that African perspectives remain under-represented in the systematic reviews that guidelines, funders and policymakers rely on, even on questions that concern Africa first.

Centicini began in February 2020 to change that. We started by teaching research writing and evidence-based methods to students and early-career researchers, and grew into an organisation focused on one discipline that closes the gap fastest: evidence synthesis.

Africa does not only need more research. Africa needs greater capacity to find, evaluate, synthesise and use the research it already has.