‘The boy who wanted a cure’: How Kenyan scientist became a global HIV leader

Growing up, Prof Kenneth Ngure always wanted to be a scientist. His interest in HIV research was piqued during high school. He recalls being at home for the holidays when a television news item caught his attention, a report on an unproven drug that was being touted at the time as a cure for HIV.

Years later, he learned that this drug was merely a compound with antiviral activity, not an actual cure. Still, that brief news segment made him realize exactly what he wanted to do after high school.

Even earlier, during primary school, he had witnessed firsthand how the HIV epidemic devastated many families. He desperately longed for a visible solution for people living with the virus.

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Last week, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he became the first Kenyan to be elected president of the International AIDS Society (IAS), a position he will hold for two years. The IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV/Aids professionals, uniting scientists, doctors, policymakers, and community advocates to push for science-based policies.

To become IAS president, candidates must first be elected by African members to the IAS governing council. Prof Ngure joined the council in 2016, also as the first Kenyan. 

Once seated, the governing councils from each region vote to elect the president. For them to have confidence in a candidate, that individual must be an accomplished scientist or expert in their respective field.

"I have always been inspired by science and I was always curious about discoveries that change people’s lives," he told Healthy Nation in a phone interview.