HIV cure research contributions from Africa in the last three decades

This paper reviews the role that African scientists and institutions have played in research aimed at curing HIV over the past 30 years. Although Africa bears the largest share of the global HIV burden, very few cure‑focused studies have been led from the continent. Of more than 7,000 HIV cure‑related research articles published from 1995 to 2024, only a tiny fraction had first, or last authors based in African institutions, and most of those focused on basic clinical descriptions rather than experimental cure science. Registered clinical studies on HIV cure were also far from fewer in Africa compared with other regions. The authors highlight several reasons for this low engagement, including limited research funding, shortages of advanced laboratory infrastructure, challenges importing technical supplies, and a lack of trained scientists able to carry out the complex laboratory work needed for cure studies. They point out that most biomedical HIV cure strategies, such as immune‑based treatments and genetic therapies, have been developed outside Africa and that studies in Africa have rarely explored how HIV behaves in the non‑B viral subtypes that are common on the continent. The review calls for increased investment in African research capacity, stronger funding and training opportunities, and equitable collaborations so that scientists in Africa can take leading roles in developing and testing cure strategies that are relevant to the epidemic where it is most severe. 

Disclaimer: This lay summary was generated by AI and has not been approved by any of the authors yet.