CLAIM: A video circulated on Facebook by a Nigerian social media influencer, @VeryDacblackman suggests that South Africa has developed a cure for HIV. According to him, he described the cure as a big win and urged the African government to celebrate South Africa for the drug.
Summary
A groundbreaking HIV cure trial conducted in Durban, South Africa, has yielded highly promising results, with 20% of participants remaining off antiretroviral therapy (ART) and virally suppressed after 18 months.
The trial, led by Professor Thumbi Ndung’u from the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, tested a combination immunotherapy approach aimed at reducing hidden traces of HIV in the body, allowing the immune system to control the virus without lifelong medication.
Verification
A Google search on the websites of the various collaborating research institutes confirmed that the research was led by Professor Thumbi Ndung’u of the HIV Pathogenesis Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Africa Health Research Institute, the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, and Gilead Sciences, Inc.
The report by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) shows that it is the first HIV cure trial in Africa and 20% of trial participants remain off ART and are virally suppressed after 18 months with results providing insights toward the development of future HIV cure approaches.
It was also revealed that the study tested a promising HIV treatment approach called combination immunotherapy with the goal being to either eliminate or reduce hidden traces of HIV in the body so the immune system could keep the virus in check without the need for lifelong medication.
In the Durban trial, researchers treated participants with antiretrovirals very soon after they acquired HIV. Once the virus was controlled by ART, they administered powerful immune-boosters – which help the immune system fight the virus more effectively. Under close medical supervision, participants then stopped ART to see if their bodies could control the virus on their own.
Additionally, the research findings were presented at the prestigious 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, held in San Francisco, United States as published by the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI)
The study tested combination immunotherapy, aiming to allow the immune system to control HIV without lifelong ART. Participants received ART to suppress the virus, followed by immune-boosters, and then stopped ART under supervision.
Key findings revealed that the trial involved 20 women who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) shortly after acquiring HIV. 30% of participants (6 out of 20) were able to remain off ART for nearly a year. Moreover, 20% of participants (4 individuals) remained off ART and virally suppressed until the trial concluded at 55 weeks. Notably, these four individuals have continued without medication for an average of 1.5 years after the trial ended and are still being closely monitored.
While the treatment didn’t work for all participants, the results provide valuable insights for future HIV cure strategies. The trial demonstrates the feasibility of conducting complex HIV cure research in resource-limited settings in Africa and highlights the importance of including African populations in such research.
VERDICT
False: This claim is false and misleading. It is unsupported by scientific evidence, was only a trial, and not a cure.
Although the clinical trial in South Africa has yielded highly promising results in a subset of participants, it is premature to claim that South Africa has successfully developed a definitive cure for HIV. The research is a significant advancement and provides valuable knowledge, but further work is needed to develop broadly effective HIV cure strategies.
While South Africa has not yet successfully developed a definitive cure for HIV, there has been a groundbreaking HIV cure trial conducted in Durban, South Africa, that has shown promising results.
This fact-check is vital because it addresses a misleading claim about an HIV cure that could have serious consequences for public health and trust in science. Misinformation suggesting South Africa has developed a definitive cure might encourage people living with HIV to abandon antiretroviral therapy (ART) without medical guidance, potentially worsening their health and increasing transmission risks.
By clarifying that the Durban trial, while promising, is not a cure, the fact-check also reduces confusion and false hope, which can arise when sensationalized claims—like the one from a Nigerian influencer on Facebook—overstate scientific findings, particularly for those desperate for a breakthrough.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) and WITNESS.