Strengthening Pharmacogenomics Implementation in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities - A Narrative Review

The discipline of pharmacogenomics (PGx) studies the influence of genetic diversity on drug response, bringing the potential to personalized treatment and reduction of adverse effects. Although PGx integration into healthcare is progressing at a global scale, its implementation in Africa faces unique challenges and opportunities. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the status of PGx in Africa, outlining the challenges to its integration into healthcare systems and highlighting available opportunities for improving personalized medicine across the continent.

A narrative review was conducted by retrieving relevant literature from PubMed, Google Scholar, and websites for African health agencies. The search identified 91 records, of which duplicates were removed. Thereafter, 58 papers underwent full-text evaluation resulting in 39 relevant articles and policy reports. Articles were considered based on their relevance to the objectives of this review and publication year range (2020-2025). Studies without full text, focusing on continents other than Africa, or published outside the defined period were excluded.

Significant challenges hinder PGx integration in Africa. Technical barriers include inadequate laboratory infrastructure, insufficient sequencing capacity, and underrepresentation in genomic studies globally. Policy challenges include the absence of context-specific regulatory frameworks, and data security measures, while socioeconomic barriers entail limited research funding and low public awareness. Besides, emerging digital health infrastructure, especially mobile health tools, brings innovative pathways for PGx adoption. Additionally, local disease priorities such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis provide clear targets for impactful PGx research. Regional and diaspora partnerships are building capacity, biobanks, and knowledge-sharing platforms.

Africa's path to PGx integration requires coordinated strategies that combine policy adoption, education, research equity, and sustainable investment. With continental collaboration, PGx promises to improve health systems and enhance treatment outcomes in Africa.

Not Applicable.