By Antony Sguazzin.
South Africa’s government together with the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust have pledged R600 million ($33 million) in a step that could keep medical research projects including a key HIV vaccine trial running after the US slashed funding for the programs.
The contribution, which sees the government’s R400 million pledge over three years augmented by R100 million each from the foundations, will be available for defunded research programs including targeting diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis, the South African Medical Research Council said in a statement on Monday.
“We will apply and hopefully get some funding,” said Glenda Gray, who is leading an HIV vaccine trial being run by the SAMRC that had been granted a multi year $45.6 million grant by the US Agency for International Development in 2023 to run the trial across eight African countries. USAID was shut down this year and much of its funding scrapped.
South Africa, where 13% of the population of about 62 million carries the HIV virus that causes AIDS, is a leading center for research into the sexually transmitted disease, as well as other ailments common to developing nations such as TB. Gray has previously said the trial would be scaled down to keep it going.
The funding “seeks to support research and academic institutions with active US grants that were directly affected by the US funding withdrawal,” the SAMRC said.