Cellular gene therapy access in Africa: a multifactorial feasibility analysis for implementation

Abstract

Cutting-edge therapeutics, such as cellular and gene therapies, can address critical health care access gaps, improving outcomes for diseases that disproportionately affect individuals living in Africa. Despite the potential to transform health care, financial and clinical infrastructure factors have limited their use. With the potential for better survival rates, improved quality of life, and fewer side effects, is it time to prioritize the development of innovative therapies in Africa? Using CAR T-cell therapies as an exemplar, this study examines whether implementing these therapies is feasible and what strategic shifts are required to make them viable across the continent. With proper clinical infrastructure and expertise, introducing these therapies could drive a medical "leapfrog" phenomenon in African health care, similar to how the telecommunications and mobile banking sectors have rapidly accelerated the continent's development.