Achieving the global agenda toward HIV cure calls for establishing a research-for-cure academy in West and Central Africa

Abstract

Despite global efforts to eliminate HIV as a public health threat, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) still harbours about the highest burden of the pandemic, home to around 70 % of people living with HIV with limited contribution in the field of HIV cure research, especially in West and Central Africa (WCA). This gap is mainly due to challenges that researchers of this region are facing in initiating and advancing HIV cure research locally, with lesser commitment from the French-speaking countries. Furthermore, capacity-building of early career scientists on HIV cure research remains constrained due to limited awareness and language barriers to existing opportunities. Even though HIV non-B subtypes represent 89 % of circulating subtypes worldwide, cure research has been extensively focused on subtype B (prevalent in America and Europe). Interestingly, WCA (known as HIV pandemic epicentre with a broad genetic diversity) offers a unique landscape for cure research with a likelihood of generalisability across various HIV subtypes. This viewpoint discusses the importance of establishing an HIV Cure Academy for WCA to support scientists, policymakers and community stakeholders from French-speaking countries in contributing to the global efforts towards HIV cure. Building on discussions, the establishment of an "HIV Cure Academy" emerges as a hallmark to: (i) raise awareness, (ii) build capacity, (iii) address scientific gaps, (iv) develop networks, and (v) foster advocacy and policy-briefing on integrating HIV cure research into national HIV agenda. The Academy is envisioned as a hub, facilitating relationships between community-based organizations, people living with HIV (PLHIV), research institutions and decision makers. This hub will also champion the "Advocacy for Cure" agenda in the sub-region, enhance multidisciplinary approach to identify local HIV cure research priorities that address the global problem. Of prime importance, research priorities in WCA include: (i) the measurement and characterization of viral reservoirs; (ii) investigation in immune responses including bNAbs, T-cell function, cytokines profiles and hosts genetic factors; (iii) identification of elite and post-treatment controllers; (iv) development of accessible technologies for point-of-care HIV DNA testing, biomarker detection, and latency-modifying agents to support functional cure strategies; (v) innovation in cost-effective and scalable therapeutic interventions suitable for low-resource settings; (vi) the strengthen of community involvement through citizen science, address ethical considerations, and engage PLHIV in the co-design of cure research initiatives; (vii) the establishment of regional training platforms, such as a Research-for-Cure Academy, to enhance scientific capacity and collaboration in West and Central Africa. Following the model of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Research-for-cure academy, the WCA HIV Cure Academy represents a key hub in achieving the goals of HIV cure, through local actions that contribute to addressing a global problem.

Fig. 1

Distribution of past IAS research-for-cure academy fellows in Africa.

Fig. 2

Operational framework of the WCA HIV research-for-cure academy.