• Stem cell therapy offers regenerative potential to address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in Africa, including burns, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions.
• Despite infrastructural, ethical, and legal challenges, SCT presents a viable strategy to reduce the economic and health impact of NCDs, potentially saving trillions in GDP losses.
• Research on SCT in Africa is scarce, but initiatives like the Basic School on Neural Stem Cells signal growing interest, with progress noted in South Africa and Nigeria.
• Overcoming barriers such as brain drain, limited funding, and lack of regulatory frameworks is critical to translating SCT from clinical trials to widespread clinical application in Africa.