‘People didn’t believe Africa could be a source of innovation’: how the continent holds the key to future drug research

Prof Kelly Chibale says the world is failing to take advantage of African genetic diversity, and everyone could be losing out

Africa has the greatest variety in human genes anywhere on the planet but the world is failing to capitalise on it, according one of the continent's leading scientists, Prof Kelly Chibale, a man determined to change that. He believes the birthplace of humanity could hold the scientific key to its future.

About 18% of the global population lives in Africa - a proportion set to rise over the next few decades - and it accounts for 20% of the global disease burden. But only 3% of clinical trials take place on the continent, and most of those in just two countries - South Africa and Egypt.