The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a global pandemic, prompting unprecedented efforts to contain the virus. Many developed countries have implemented widespread testing and have rapidly mobilized research programmes to develop vaccines and therapeutics. However, these approaches may be impractical in Africa, where the infrastructure for testing is poorly developed and owing to the limited manufacturing capacity to produce pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, a large burden of HIV-1 and tuberculosis in Africa could exacerbate the severity of infection and may affect vaccine immunogenicity. This Review discusses global efforts to develop diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, with these considerations in mind. We also highlight vaccine and diagnostic production platforms that are being developed in Africa and that could be translated into clinical development through appropriate partnerships for manufacture.

严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 的出现导致了全球大流行，促使人们采取了前所未有的努力来遏制该病毒。许多发达国家已经实施了广泛的测试，并迅速动员了研究计划来开发疫苗和治疗方法。然而，这些方法在非洲可能不切实际，因为那里的测试基础设施不发达，而且生产药品的制造能力有限。此外，非洲 HIV-1 和结核病的大量负担可能会加剧感染的严重程度，并可能影响疫苗的免疫原性。本综述讨论了全球开发诊断、治疗和疫苗的努力，并考虑了这些因素。