Why the next cure for HIV or cancer could come from Africa

This content is sponsored by Wits University

So, the big idea from Wits is that the next major breakthrough against diseases like HIV or cancer should come not only from labs in Europe or America, but also from Africa itself. It’s a powerful concept, especially when you think about that stark reality.

For too long, the solutions offered have been designed far away, often missing what people here truly need.

Hence, the necessity for Wits University's Bio-Hub. Listen to the full interview below... 

Professor Glenda Gray, Professor and Director of the Wits Infectious Diseases and Oncology Research Institute, explains the vision. Noting the core issue is that while we have brilliant researchers, they often spend their time adapting discoveries made elsewhere. “We need to shift the gravity,” she said, to become originators.

The Bio-Hub will do this by bringing together experts from vaccine developers, drug designers, cancer specialists, and diagnostic specialists into one collaborative space. The hope is that this mix will spark unexpected conversations and radical new ideas, all focused on our local challenges.

Bio-Hub’s mission will be firmly rooted in the specific health landscape of the continent. Professor Gray emphasises that the work must be “responsive to our burden of disease,” tackling pervasive challenges like HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer with a fresh, locally-attuned perspective.

This approach, she explains, extends beyond creating new pharmaceuticals to encompass the entire spectrum of medical need. It includes developing rapid, affordable diagnostic tools and advancing precision medicine that accounts for the unique genetic backgrounds of African populations. “We find that [drugs tested elsewhere] don't work,”Gray notes, highlighting a critical gap the Hub intends to fill by ensuring treatments are effective for the people who need them most.

A defining part of the Bio-Hub’s strategy is its commitment to entrepreneurship and building commercial partnerships.

The vision extends beyond the laboratory bench to the marketplace, aiming to create a self-sustaining cycle of innovation. The goal is to turn locally-generated intellectual property, such as an affordable, world-class diagnostic, into viable products, with revenue reinvested to fund future research and train the next generation of scientists. It’ a model proven at leading universities worldwide, and is key to building lasting research sovereignty.

Professor Gray clarifies that this commercial focus will not divert from the core mission; it will always be “grounded in the local reality,” ensuring that the drive for sustainability directly fuels the fight against the diseases that impact African communities daily.