Dr. Duduzile Ndwandwe, Head of Vaccine Implementation Science at the South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Cochrane South Africa (CSA), recently participated in the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) immunisation meetings held from 24–27 June 2025 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. She emphasised the urgent need for stronger partnerships and evidence-based implementation to further immunisation goals across Africa.
Dr. Ndwandwe participated in the Regional Immunisation Stakeholders Meeting, where she was part of a high-level panel addressing the theme: “Strengthening partnerships to accelerate the implementation of the Immunisation Agenda 2030: What can be done differently?” In her presentation, titled “Advancing Partnerships in Implementation Research for Accelerated Results in Immunisation,” she underscored the importance of embedded implementation research in helping countries identify, test, and scale effective solutions in real-world contexts. “I was honoured to join key immunisation stakeholders and experts from across the continent in discussions that matter,” Dr. Ndwandwe shared. “These conversations highlighted the necessity for us to rethink how we collaborate, how we provide technical support to countries, and how we utilise evidence to accelerate the Immunisation Agenda 2030.”
Dr. Ndwandwe also engaged in the Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (RITAG) sessions, where global and regional experts reviewed progress, identified barriers, and made recommendations on various topics, including Mpox, RSV, polio transition, and African vaccine manufacturing. “We must transcend the view of research as something external to programmes. Instead, research should be integrated within the health system, co-created with country teams, and focused on the challenges decision-makers face on the ground,” she stated.
A key focus was on Vaccine Implementation Science, which aimed at exploring how the immunisation ecosystem can better support countries through applied research. “These discussions reaffirmed the crucial role that implementation research plays in bridging the gap between evidence and impact,” Dr. Ndwandwe observed.
Her participation underscores the SAMRC’s strategic commitment to implementation research, particularly through CSA, which advocates for generating and applying evidence to inform policy and practice. “At Cochrane South Africa, we are dedicated to ensuring that research is not only produced but also effectively used to strengthen immunisation delivery, improve coverage, and ultimately save lives,” she mentioned.
As Africa moves toward achieving the targets of the Immunisation Agenda 2030, Dr. Ndwandwe’s message is clear: “To succeed, we must forge partnerships rooted in trust, align our efforts with national priorities, and ensure that implementation research becomes a routine aspect of how we approach immunisation.”