Oxford Tropical Meeting 2025 – Day 1 recap
The Programme hosted the Oxford Tropical Network Meeting, a space for collaboration, innovation, and advancing global health. Themed Networking for science discovery and impact OTN brings together colleagues from Oxford’s Overseas Programmes and related departments to share insights, showcase innovative research, and strengthen collaborations in Tropical Medicine and Global Health. The theme highlights the strengths of the OTN and encourages participants to explore synergies, foster collaboration, and pursue joint initiatives.
Institutional overview
Throughout the event, several institutions shared updates that reflected both their achievements and their ongoing priorities. KEMRI–Wellcome highlighted the Programme’s growth, particularly its emphasis on capacity development, research translation, and public engagement.
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), which spans eight research units across five countries, underscored its commitment to locally driven priorities in rural health and leadership development, noting the strength of its diverse funding streams, including philanthropic partnerships.
The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) focused on the health impacts of climate change, using Dengue and Malaria as examples, while also voicing concerns about the nationalization of science and its effects on international collaboration through limited research funding.
Africa Health Research Institute, which focuses on ensuring the optimal health and well-being of communities, drew attention to its work on adolescent health and tuberculosis, emphasizing its deep partnerships with local communities and the innovative business models it has developed to support science funding. Aside from the strong partnerships with communities and universities, AHRI has institutional and specific area strategies to produce critical knowledge and transform policy into practice.
Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme showcased its human challenge studies for TB, its mentorship and school engagement initiatives, and an effective funding model that multiplies core grants into significant additional support. Their impact is both nationally, regionally, and globally in policy and practice, including feeding into World Health Organization guidelines.
Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health presented its research on the impacts of climate change on malaria, reinforcing its position as a hub for global health research in the Global South. Oxford Global Health spoke to the broader challenges facing the field, including funding cuts, and called for greater equity, interdisciplinary, and collaboration to sustain impactful research.
Plenary sessions
The plenary sessions set the tone for forward-looking dialogue. In the opening plenary, Dr. Tom Kariuki of the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA) urged a shift in the centre of gravity of health research funding toward Africa. He highlighted SFA’s support to 40 African countries, with a strong focus on equity, contextual relevance, capacity building, and long-term partnerships. Reflecting on the Foundation’s approach, he stated: “If it’s about us, it should be led by Africa and done with us.” He also called for reducing duplication, strengthening institutional systems, and building trust through African-led initiatives.
Panel discussions, led by Marta Maia, explored the intersection of climate change and health. The conversations addressed the use of technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation in research, while emphasizing the role of young people in shaping climate action and ensuring that solutions are contextually relevant.
As the meeting concluded, it became clear that OTN 2025 had reinforced the network’s collective strengths. By cultivating synergies, fostering interdisciplinary partnerships, and centering equity and innovation, the Oxford Tropical Network continues to advance science with real-world impact.