Terms of Service

✅ 1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to the Community of Practice (the "Platform"), operated by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). By accessing, registering for, or using the Platform, you ("you" or the "Member") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (the "Terms") and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Platform.

🏛️ 2. About the Platform

APHRC is a premier African-led research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The Platform provides a space for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and partners to connect, share knowledge, collaborate on projects, attend live sessions, and contribute to evidence-based health and population research across Africa.

Features include — but are not limited to — community groups, discussion forums, member directories, activity feeds, live meeting rooms, and curated learning resources.

👤 3. Eligibility & Accounts

Who can join

• You must be at least 18 years old, or of legal age in your jurisdiction to enter a binding contract.
• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering.
• APHRC reserves the right to refuse, suspend, or revoke membership at its discretion.

Account security

You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at virtualacademy@aphrc.org if you suspect unauthorized access.

📏 4. Acceptable Use

The Platform is a professional, research-oriented space. You agree not to:

• Post content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, hateful, discriminatory, or that incites violence;
• Share misinformation, fabricated research, or content that misrepresents scientific consensus;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any institution;
• Upload malware, attempt to breach security, scrape content at scale, or interfere with Platform operations;
• Use the Platform for unsolicited advertising, spam, or commercial solicitation outside of approved channels;
• Collect or harvest personal data of other Members without their explicit consent;
• Disrupt live meeting rooms, webinars, or community events.

✍️ 5. User Content

You retain ownership of the content you post (text, comments, files, presentations, media — collectively "User Content"). However, by posting on the Platform, you grant APHRC a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, reproduce, adapt, and distribute that content for the purpose of operating, promoting, and improving the Platform and APHRC's mission.

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights to the content you post;
• Your content does not infringe any third-party rights, including copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity rights;
• Your content complies with all applicable laws and these Terms.

APHRC may, but is not obligated to, review, moderate, or remove User Content that violates these Terms.

©️ 6. Intellectual Property

All Platform software, design, logos, trademarks, branding, and original APHRC publications are the property of APHRC or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, redistribute, or create derivative works from APHRC materials without prior written permission, except as permitted by fair use, fair dealing, or an applicable open-access licence.

🔐 7. Privacy & Data

Your privacy matters. Our handling of personal information — what we collect, how we use it, and your rights — is described in our Privacy Policy. By using the Platform, you consent to the data practices described there.

🔗 8. Third-Party Services

The Platform integrates with third-party services (for example, Jitsi for live video, embedded resources, social media links). APHRC is not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of those third parties. Use of third-party services is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

🚪 9. Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access — with or without notice — if you breach these Terms, engage in conduct that harms other Members, or where required by law. You may close your account at any time by contacting us. Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ends immediately; provisions that by their nature should survive (e.g., IP, disclaimers, liability limits) will continue to apply.

⚠️ 10. Disclaimers

The Platform and all content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. APHRC does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or that User Content posted by other Members is accurate, complete, or reliable.

Information shared on the Platform is for knowledge-exchange and is not a substitute for professional medical, legal, or financial advice.

🛡️ 11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, APHRC, its trustees, officers, employees, partners, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform.

📝 12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to the Platform, our practices, or applicable law. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where the changes are material, provide reasonable notice (for example, via the Platform or by email). Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

⚖️ 13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Kenya, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Nairobi, Kenya, unless otherwise required by mandatory local law that applies to you.

📬 14. Contact Us

Questions, concerns, or notices regarding these Terms? We'd like to hear from you.