Since antiretroviral therapies came onto the market more than two decades ago, the level of investment into research to treat HIV in most countries around the world has plateaued. But in South Africa, where nearly one in five adults is infected with HIV, researchers have ramped up experiments to develop drugs against the deadly disease. In fact, a report published recently in the journal Scientometrics (doi:10.1007/s11192-010-0277-6, 2010) shows that the proportion of the Rainbow Nation's scientific output focused on HIV now soars above that of any other country (see chart).

Despite South Africa's internal dedication to HIV research, its relatively modest size and resources mean that the country produces around 3% of the world's scientific literature on the topic, notes study co-author Anastassios Pouris, director of the University of Pretoria's Institute for Technological Innovation. “South Africa is putting a lot of effort into the field,” he says, “but it cannot resolve the issue by itself.” As such, Pouris argues that the country should reduce its focus on science as a means to curb the AIDS epidemic and instead turn to diplomacy to persuade richer nations to invest more in research into treatments for HIV and other diseases that disproportionately affect the African continent.