Innovative Approaches to Reducing Infectious Disease Burden in Africa

Africa carries a disproportionately high burden of infectious diseases which significantly contribute to morbidity, mortality, and economic setbacks. While significant progress has been made against diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, these remain major public health threats. They are compounded by the emergence and re-emergence of other pathogens (e.g., Ebola, Lassa fever), the persistent challenge of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and climate change–driven disease spread, and the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Conventional approaches to disease control, while foundational, are often hampered by systemic challenges including weak/limited healthcare infrastructure, limited funding, inadequate access to medicines, poor diagnostic capacity, weak surveillance systems and fragmented response mechanisms, supply chain inefficiencies, and shortages of skilled healthcare workers.

However, the current landscape presents an unprecedented opportunity for innovation. The rapid advancement of digital technologies, novel diagnostic tools, new drugs/vaccine platforms, and data science is converging with a growing spirit of local entrepreneurship and community-led solutions. From mobile health (mHealth) applications that improve disease surveillance to point-of-care diagnostics that function in low-resource settings, innovation is key to leapfrogging these systemic barriers. This research topic aims to capture, analyze, and promote these groundbreaking approaches, focusing on their development, integration, scalability, and sustainability within the unique African context.

The primary goal of this research topic is to assemble a collection of high-quality, evidence-based articles that showcase, critically evaluate, and advance the discourse on innovative strategies for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and managing infectious diseases in Africa. We seek to move beyond describing the problem and instead focus on actionable, scalable, and context-specific solutions. The collection will serve as a critical resource for policymakers, funders, healthcare providers, and researchers, to identify promising pathways toward a significant and sustainable infectious disease control in Africa.

We welcome original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, case studies, policy analyses, and perspective articles that align with, but are not limited to, the following thematic areas:

A. Technological and Digital Health Innovations
• mHealth and Telemedicine for contact tracing, medication adherence, remote patient monitoring, and health worker training;
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data: Predictive analytics for outbreak forecasting, AI-powered diagnostics, and modeling the spread of AMR;
• Geospatial Technology: Using GIS and satellite data to map disease hotspots, predict vector habitats, and optimize resource allocation;
• Blockchain for Health: Securing medical records, enhancing supply chain transparency for drugs and vaccines, and ensuring data integrity in surveillance.

B. Novel Diagnostic and Point-of-Care Tools
• Development and validation of rapid, affordable, and equipment-free diagnostic tests for a range of infectious diseases;
• Multiplex platforms capable of detecting multiple pathogens from a single sample;
• Innovations in sample collection and transport to overcome logistical challenges in remote areas;
• Strategies for integrating novel diagnostics into existing primary healthcare systems.

C. Innovations in Therapeutics and Prevention
• Drug/Vaccine Development and Delivery: Novel therapeutics and vaccine candidates, thermostable vaccine formulations, innovative delivery systems;
• Novel Antimicrobials and Alternatives: Phage therapy, monoclonal antibodies, host-directed therapies, genetic approaches to combat AMR;
• Improved Delivery Models.

D. Health Systems, Policy and Implementation Science
• Financing Models;
• Workforce Strengthening;
• Supply Chain Innovations;
• Community-Engaged and Co-Designed Solutions.

E. Cross-Cutting Themes
• One Health Approaches to prevent zoonotic spillover and control endemic diseases;
• Climate Change and Infectious Disease: Innovative strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on disease distribution and transmission dynamics;
• Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI).

We encourage submissions that not only present successful innovations but also analyze failures and lessons learned. Submissions should explicitly discuss the context-specific applicability, cost-effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability of the proposed approaches. Collaborative work between African institutions and international partners is highly encouraged, with a preference for first and/or corresponding authors based at African institutions.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: nfectious Diseases, Africa, Innovation, Digital Health, Diagnostics, Vaccines, Implementation Science, One Health, Antimicrobial Resistance, Health Systems Strengthening, mHealth, Artificial Intelligence

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.