In a powerful display of global health solidarity, South Africa, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, has pledged R600 million (approximately USD 33 million) to sustain critical medical research programs endangered by the sudden withdrawal of U.S. funding earlier this year.

The emergency funding package is aimed at stabilising high-impact research projects, particularly in HIV and tuberculosis (TB), that were left vulnerable after the abrupt exit of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—a key donor in African health research.

A major priority of the new fund is to keep alive an HIV vaccine trial led by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), which had previously received a $45.6 million grant from USAID in 2023. The vaccine study is currently being conducted across eight African countries.

“We are hopeful,” said Professor Glenda Gray, President of SAMRC and renowned HIV researcher. “This support offers a critical lifeline—not just for our research team, but for the broader global fight against HIV and TB.”

South Africa’s contribution of R400 million will be disbursed over three years, while the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust have each committed R100 million. The funds will prioritise research institutions and programs with active U.S. grants directly impacted by the funding shortfall.

With 13% of South Africa’s 62 million citizens living with HIV, the country has long been a global leader in infectious disease research and a hub for large-scale clinical trials. The SAMRC stated that the new investment aims to “maintain momentum in health innovation and safeguard decades of scientific progress.”

Global health experts welcomed the announcement but cautioned against the risks of donor dependency.

“We’ve built remarkable research ecosystems in Africa,” said Dr. Miriam Molefe, a health policy analyst. “But unless we ensure locally anchored financing, we remain vulnerable to geopolitical decisions that can unravel critical work overnight.”

The Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust echoed the call for African leadership in health innovation, especially in light of rising challenges like antimicrobial resistance, pandemics, and climate-linked disease burdens.

While the future of all affected programs remains uncertain, researchers say the funding will prevent immediate collapse, buy time for recovery, and set a precedent for regional responsibility and international cooperation in health research.

This move by South Africa and its partners is being hailed as a resilient response and a model for shared investment in Africa’s scientific future.

 

Article by Jed Mwangi

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