Value Addition to African Natural Product-Based Drug Discovery Initiatives

Natural products are vital to drug discovery, yet Africa’s
vast biodiversity remains underutilized. This perspective examines
barriers limiting Africa’s impactsuch as weak infrastructure,
limited translational capacity, and minimal integration of medicinal
chemistry. We advocate for advancing beyond basic extraction to include
systematic isolation, pharmacokinetics studies, and semisynthetic
derivatization. Emphasis is placed on integrating AI, cheminformatics,
and biotransformation, alongside embedding drug discovery training
into academic curricula. Strengthening regional networks, fostering
interdisciplinary collaborations, and securing Africa-sensitive funding
are essential. Strategic implementation of these actions will enable
Africa to harness its natural resources for global drug discovery
and address local health challenges.