Socio-behavioural and ethics research towards HIV cure in Africa: a scoping review

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral treatment has transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition, but ongoing challenges highlight the need for cure research. Social and behavioural sciences and ethics remain underrepresented despite their importance for ethical research participation. OBJECTIVE: This review assesses the integration of social and behavioural sciences and ethics into HIV cure research in Africa, identifying gaps and research priorities. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley's framework and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidance. We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and EBSCOhost for literature published between 2011 and 2026 on social, behavioural, and ethical dimensions of HIV cure research in Africa. Of 3,936 records screened, 45 articles were included. RESULTS: Five themes emerged: (1) geographic and demographic discrepancies; (2) understanding and defining HIV cure; (3) ethical considerations; (4) education and community engagement; and (5) interdisciplinary and community collaboration. Of 17 empirical studies, 14 were conducted in South Africa, two in Ghana, and one across South Africa, Mozambique, Uganda, and Mali. The remaining 28 articles were reviews, commentaries, and conceptual papers. Gaps included underrepresentation of key populations, limited community engagement and empirical ethics research, and the need for context-specific ethical approaches. CONCLUSION: Integrating social and behavioural sciences and ethics into HIV cure research can support contextually relevant and equitable research in Africa. Priorities include expanding geographic and population representation, strengthening empirical ethics research and community engagement, and supporting collaboration among biomedical researchers, social scientists, ethicists, and communities. These priorities require funding and locally relevant ethical recommendations to inform the design and conduct of HIV cure-related research studies.