Background Cure research is the new frontier in the fight against HIV as prioritized by organizations like the International AIDS Society, the EDCTP and the National Institutes of Health. However, though 70% of people living with HIV are in Africa, the literature shows that very little of the current cure research efforts involve African scientists or patients. Important questions such as how co-infections like malaria, helminths, tuberculosis, and different HIV clades affect the viral reservoir can only be answered in Africa, to ensure that an eventual cure is effective and appropriate for African patients.

Methods With support from the EDCTP through a senior fellowship grant in 2019, we set up the HIV Cure Research Infrastructure Study (H-CRIS) at the University of Ghana with partnership from Washington University in St Louis and Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Our approach was to leverage the initial EDCTP grant, to obtain more grants to sustain the cure research training.

Results Through H-CRIS, we have set up a cohort of 390 patients with HIV that we monitor on a regular basis for viral load, CD4 counts, co-morbidities and other parameters. We have trained 3 postdoctoral scientists, 2 PhD students, 3 MPhil students and 10 research assistants in HIV cure research methods. We have collected data on patient perspectives on cure research, performed laboratory screening of compounds towards cure, and obtained additional funding to perform cutting edge studies on how co-infections such as tuberculosis and hepatitis impact the HIV reservoir. Through mentorship and guidance of trainees, we have quadrupled the initial EDCTP grant by obtaining additional funding of over 2 million dollars from various sources to sustain the cure research.

Conclusion We will share our model of starting and sustaining a basic and translational HIV cure research programme which is feasible and replicable in other Africa settings.