Africa

We believe that solutions to Africa’s greatest challenges can come from within Africa. Our role is to support African partners whose bold ideas and creative approaches have the potential to save lives, improve health, and help families all across the continent.
A Kenyan family at the Umoja Health Centre in Nairobi.
A Kenyan family at the Umoja Health Centre in Nairobi.

At a glance

  • Working alongside national governments, local organizations, and other partners across Africa, we contribute funding and scientific expertise in support of their goals for change.
  • We focus on countries where we believe we can have the greatest impact.
  • We support a range of programs that work to improve health and nutrition; gender equality; disease prevention, treatment, and research; water, sanitation, and hygiene; agriculture; and financial services for the poor.

Focus countries

We know that those closest to health and development challenges are in the best position to address them. That is why we work alongside local partners across Africa to contribute funding and scientific expertise in support of their goals for change.
  • Working with partners in Burkina Faso, we support projects that aim to empower women and girls, transform the agricultural economy, and combat infectious diseases.
    Burkina Faso
    Working with partners in Burkina Faso, we support projects that aim to empower women and girls, transform the agricultural economy, and combat infectious diseases.
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  • Health extension workers at a health post in Asano, Ethiopia.
    Ethiopia
    Since opening our office in Addis Ababa in 2012, we have partnered with the Ethiopian government, donors, the private sector, and civil society organizations to help improve agricultural productivity and increase the coverage of live-saving health and nutrition interventions.
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  • Kenya
    Kenya
    In Kenya, our work focuses on areas of overlap between our expertise and the government’s priorities under the Kenya Vision 2030 development blueprint and the country’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include primary health care and gender equality.
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  • A health worker at a health center in northeastern Nigeria.
    Nigeria
    Since opening our office in Abuja in 2012, we have worked closely with partners in Nigeria to make progress in key areas of health, including primary health care and polio eradication.
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  • Students in front of toilets at a primary school outside Durban, South Africa.
    South Africa
    We work with partners in South Africa to advance research and solutions that address the country’s areas of greatest need, including HIV and tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and progress in gender equality.
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More about our work in Africa

Regional offices

We work across Africa from our regional headquarters in Johannesburg and our offices in Abuja and Addis Ababa.

Our story

Learn about the origins of the foundation and the values that drive our work.

Ideas

Read the latest stories, research, and news from across the foundation and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Optimist.