REVIEW TB and HIV in the Central African region: current knowledge and knowledge gaps S. Janssen • M. A. M. Huson • S. Be ´lard • S. Stolp • N. Kapata • M. Bates • M. van Vugt • M. P. Grobusch Received: 22 August 2013 / Accepted: 27 November 2013 / Published online: 6 December 2013 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract Purpose Reliable and comprehensive data on the HIV/ AIDS and TB co-pandemics from Central Africa remain scarce. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview on current and past research activities in the region and provides a basis for future research work to close knowledge gaps. Methods The scientific literature was searched for pub- lications meeting the following search terms: ‘‘tuberculo- sis’’ or ‘‘HIV’’ or ‘‘acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’’, combined with ‘‘Central Africa’’, or the names of indi- vidual countries within the region. Original studies, reviews and case series were included, and a selection of relevant articles was made. Results Most research in the field of HIV and TB has been conducted in Cameroon, where the epidemics have been described fairly well. The Democratic Republic of Congo ranked second on the amount of publications, despite the civil wars over the past several decades. Very little has been published on HIV and TB in the other countries, possibly due to the poor infrastructure of health care systems, lack of scientific capacity building or short- age of laboratory equipment. Conclusions Despite the relatively high burden of HIV and TB in the Central African region, the amount of research activities on these topics is limited. A better understanding of the co-epidemics in this region is urgently needed. The occurrence of opportunistic infec- tions, treatment complications and drug resistance in TB and HIV need to be better described; the failure of public health systems needs to be understood, and research infrastructure needs to be developed. Only then will it be S. Janssen Á M. A. M. Huson Á S. Be ´lard Á S. Stolp Á M. van Vugt Á M. P. Grobusch (&) Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands e-mail: m.p.grobusch@amc.uva.nl S. Janssen Á M. P. Grobusch Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tu ¨bingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tu ¨bingen, Germany S. Janssen Á M. A. M. Huson Á S. Be ´lard Á S. Stolp Á M. P. Grobusch Centre de Recherches Me ´dicales de Lambare ´ne ´ (CERMEL), BP 118, Lambare ´ne ´, Gabon S. Janssen Á S. Be ´lard Á M. van Vugt Á M. P. Grobusch Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa N. Kapata National TB and Leprosy Control Program, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 30205, Lusaka, Zambia N. Kapata Á M. Bates UNZA-UCLMS Research & Training Programme, University Teaching Hospital, Nationalist Road, P.O. Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia M. Bates Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK 123 Infection (2014) 42:281–294 DOI 10.1007/s15010-013-0568-y