African Primatologists, non-African researchers and conservationists working on African primates as well as the Ivorians ministers of water and forests, scientific research and Environment came together in Abidjan from July 25-27, 2017 for the inaugural congress of the African Primatological Society (APS).

The overall aim of the congress was to create a platform for knowledge and experience which can be shared amongst researchers, conservationists, education practitioners, donors and decision makers across the African continent to further effective conservation of African primates.

Afrique One-ASPIRE played an important role at this congress in terms of supporting this great initiative and while also promoting the One Health concept to aid effective conservation of primates in Africa. According to Prof Bassirou Bonfoh, director of Afrique One-ASPIRE, ‘One Health can help to reverse the extinction of primates in Africa, (it) contributes to save primates by addressing human, animal and ecosystem health together’.

Africa needs a critical mass of primatologists and Afrique One-ASPIRE supports APS to shift the center of primatologist to Africa. According to the director of Afrique One-ASPIRE, this ambition is in line with the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) strategy which is to shift the centre of gravity of African science to Africa.