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Pan Africa

Africa’s Distinct Gut Microbiome: A Potential Source for Revolutionary Drugs

March 29, 2025

(3 Minutes Read)

According to scientists, over 40,000 previously unidentified gut microbes in African populations could significantly alter how medicines work for millions of people. Research led by the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB) at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, addresses the gap in microbiome studies, which have generally overlooked African populations.

Ovokeraye Oduaran, one of the researchers, explains that the long-term goal is to apply these findings to real-life situations. “We want to ensure that when medicines are developed, they account for as many people as possible.” For years, most medications have been designed based on research from high-income countries. However, gut bacteria, which help process medications, differ significantly between African populations and people in Europe or America. As a result, many drugs may not work the same way for African patients. The researchers believe their findings, published in Nature, could help create better treatments tailored to African populations.

Jerolen Naidoo, senior researcher in bioengineering and integrative genomics at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, calls these findings a pivotal moment for the African human microbiome. He emphasizes the importance of these studies in highlighting the vast biodiversity still present within African microbiomes.

Luicer Ingasia Olubayo, a postdoctoral fellow at SBIMB who also worked on the study, explains that these discoveries could lead to different prescriptions or the addition of probiotics when treating African patients.

The team identified over 1,000 new bacterial species and more than 40,000 new viruses in the gut microbiomes of African people. “We found a lot of novelties,” says Olubayo, noting that certain bacteria that are rare in other parts of the world were abundant in Africa.

The researchers analyzed stool samples from about 1,800 women across Kenya, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and South Africa using genetic sequencing to identify various microorganisms. One exciting discovery was the unique gut bacteria patterns found in people with HIV. These patterns were completely different from those found in HIV patients in wealthier countries, suggesting potential improvements in HIV detection, monitoring, and treatment in African populations.

This study was the largest to investigate the microbiomes of women living with HIV, demonstrating the need for region-specific research. The team found that people living in rural areas had more diverse and richer gut bacteria than city dwellers, who often lacked a specific bacteria called Treponema. This was likely due to lower fiber intake and higher antibiotic use in urban areas.

Charissa Naidoo, co-director of the African Microbiome Institute, warns that as more Africans adopt urban lifestyles and consume more antibiotics, beneficial gut bacteria are disappearing. She calls for urgent action, such as nutritional intervention, to preserve gut microbiome diversity in the face of antibiotic overuse, as this loss could lead to long-term health consequences like increased allergies, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

However, the researchers found that the differences between rural and urban populations were not as simple as they first seemed. Even within cities like those in Kenya versus South Africa, gut bacteria varied significantly. Olubayo explains that local diets, environmental factors, and cultural practices play crucial roles in shaping the gut microbiome, challenging the usual rural-urban divide often used by other researchers.

In 2007, the US National Institutes of Health launched the Human Microbiome Project to improve understanding of microbiota and its connection to human health and disease. However, most studies have focused on high-income populations, leaving low- and middle-income countries underrepresented. Olubayo highlights that, when mapping global microbiome research, Africa has largely been a blank spot, and they are proud to help fill in that map.

The team plans to expand their research to explore connections between gut bacteria and other health issues like sleep disorders, menopause, and brain diseases. Naidoo suggests future studies should also focus on tuberculosis, which has a significant impact in South Africa and neighboring countries.

Jerolen Naidoo emphasises that this is the first large-scale study of its kind focusing specifically on African populations. He calls these findings a turning point for African human microbiome research, highlighting the rich biodiversity that still exists and stressing the need for more equitable representation in global databases.