Revolution needs not just science, but a story. Globally, DNA has become more than a molecule. It has become evidence, identity, and hope. Yet across Africa, the potential of forensic genomics still risks withering not for lack of ambition, but for lack of communication. For too long, the science of DNA has remained propagated in research papers, courtrooms, Sci-Fi movies, and elite laboratories and conferences, while the communities who need its power the most remain uninformed, uninvited, and unengaged.

As Africa considers how to build capacity, curriculum, and infrastructure for forensic genomics, we must remember: no tool transforms society unless society understands it. We must consider science communication not as a luxury but as a cornerstone of Africa’s forensic genomics revolution.

Making Genomics Speak Africa’s Language

At its best, science communication is the vehicle of science. For instance, when a mother understands why a DNA sample could help identify her missing child, when a judge knows how to interpret a population frequency in a STR match or understands what it means, when a journalist accurately explains why a DNA exoneration matters, then we are not merely transferring information; we are redistributing agency.

And yet, in many parts of Africa, the language of genomics remains foreign. Concepts like allelic dropout, probabilistic genotyping, ancestry inference, and identity-by-descent rarely appear in local languages, public media, or even some science curricula. Far more disconcerting, the cultural vocabulary necessary to frame these concepts meaningfully, grounded in African ethics, history, and experience, is still underdeveloped.

Africa is home to a wide range of ethnicities and tribes with different cultures, languages, and traditions. This makes it difficult to have a specific way of explaining, relating to, or debating scientific issues like DNA, such that it makes sense to local communities. Africa’s forensic genomics revolution must therefore be multilingual in the deepest sense to enable translation not just across languages, but across stories, literacies, and cultures.

Our Silence Is a Policy Choice

Not communicating the science of forensic genomics is not just an accidental gap but rather reflects institutional priorities. When the public does not understand what forensic DNA can or cannot do, they become vulnerable to both over-trust and under-trust. This may make courts accept weak DNA evidence uncritically, or reject powerful findings for lack of comprehension. Communities may fear genomic research as exploitation or miss out on its protections in the absence of trust.

While this is not hypothetical, we have seen in past decades, resistance to biomedical interventions in Africa (1–3), not because communities were anti-science, but because the science was not communicated appropriately or communities did not understand the science properly. Forensic genomics is not exempt, but without proactive engagement, forensic genomics could be seen as something else rather than a service. We should see science communication as the ethical interface between innovation and community, and how we practice consent not just in the clinic or the lab, but in the public square.

Building Public Trust before Public Policy

Public policy cannot move faster than public understanding. In advanced countries, the development of genomic literacy is being cultivated deliberately through educational campaigns, documentaries, town hall discussions, K-12 to adult education and the inclusion of scientists in media (4–6). In contrast, African genomic literacy has often developed reactively, guided by external funders or in response to crises.

To reverse this, we must invest in science communicators as essential infrastructure. Not just spokespeople for institutions, but storytellers who translate research into meaning, who build bridges between technical experts and traditional leaders, between forensic scientists and affected communities.

Imagine a future where African movies incorporate forensic casework, where children learn about DNA evidence through culturally rooted cartoons, and where artists and actors shape the public’s relationship with genetic justice. That future is not utopia, it is strategy.

A Call for a Pan-African Science Communication Alliance

If Africa is serious about forensic genomics, it must be equally serious about forensic genomic communication. I propose the formation of a Pan-African Science Communication Alliance for Forensic Genomics (PASCAF-GEN), bringing together scientists, journalists, educators, legal scholars, community activists, social media influencers, and creatives where forensic geneticists lead the efforts. The African Science Communication Agency (ASCA), African Gong – A Pan-African network for the popularization of science and technology and science communication, Science Stories Africa, Training Centre in Communication(TCC Africa), GhScientific and others could come together to form this alliance.

The alliance would:

• Develop public education campaigns in local languages, demystifying DNA evidence and its ethical implications.
• Train forensic scientists in media literacy and public speaking.
• Create curricula for schools and universities that integrate storytelling, creative arts, and genomics.
• Build networks of “citizen explainers” across regions to serve as trusted messengers in their communities.
• Partner with national broadcasters and local media to regularly feature accessible content on forensic genomics.

Just as we call for Centres of Excellence in forensic genomics research, we must also build Centres of Explanation spaces where science is made public, people are empowered, and justice is made visible.

Final Thoughts

Who tells the story of DNA after a genocide, a civil war, a mass grave? Who speaks for the dead when the data arrives? Who shapes how that evidence is understood in court, in the community, in the culture? The answers to these questions require more than just capacity. It requires consciousness. A forensic genomics revolution built without communication is no revolution; it is a replication of past inequalities in new forms. But with the power of stories, of language, of the arts of human connection, we can write a new future. One where forensic genomics is not just accepted, but understood. Not just practised, but trusted. Not just imported, but narrated by Africa, for Africa.

Author’s Perspective:
“This article represents a personal opinion, and an aspirational vision rooted in my experience as a scientist and educator. It is written with the hope that Africa can rise to become a global contributor and leader in forensic genomics through strategic investments in education, infrastructure, and collaboration. The ideas shared are not intended to critique others, but to inspire dialogue and collective progress toward a more inclusive, sovereign, and scientifically empowered continent.”

References

1.           Chima SC. Regulation of biomedical research in Africa. BMJ [Internet. 2006 Apr 6 [cited 2025 Apr 28];332(7545):848–51. Available from: https://www.bmj.com/content/332/7545/848

2.           Nyirenda D, Sariola S, Kingori P, Squire B, Bandawe C, Parker M, et al. Structural coercion in the context of community engagement in global health research conducted in a low resource setting in Africa. BMC Med Ethics [Internet]. 2020 Sep 21 [cited 2025 Apr 28];21(1):1–10. Available from: https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12910-020-00530-1

3.           Flint K. “Africa Isn’t a Testing Lab”: Considering COVID Vaccine Trials in a History of Biomedical Experimentation and Abuse. Journal of West African History. 2020 Sep 1;6(2):126–40.

4.           Zimani AN, Peterlin B, Kovanda A. Increasing Genomic Literacy Through National Genomic Projects. Front Genet [Internet]. 2021 Aug 12 [cited 2025 Apr 28];12:693253. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8387713/

5.           Mboowa G, Sserwadda I. Role of genomics literacy in reducing the burden of common genetic diseases in Africa. Mol Genet Genomic Med [Internet]. 2019 Jul 1 [cited 2025 Apr 28];7(7):e00776. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6625136/

6.           Hurle B, Citrin T, Jenkins JF, Kaphingst KA, Lamb N, Roseman JE, et al. What Does it Mean to be Genomically Literate? National Human Genome Research Institute Meeting Report. Genet Med [Internet]. 2013 Aug [cited 2025 Apr 28];15(8):658. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4115323/