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U.S. Funding Freeze Disrupts HIV Research, Closes Clinics
Time to read: 01:33
Published: 18 February 2025
One of the most affected projects is the BRILLIANT initiative, a South African-led HIV vaccine development effor using mRNA technology. According to our source article, the University of the Witwatersrand team were making significant progress in developing a vaccine when USAID abruptly pulled its support. Samples remain frozen in storage, and planned trials in South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda are now on hold.
The project, fully funded by a $45 million USAID grant, was advancing knowledge on how to simulate rare immune responses seen in certain HIV-positive individuals.
Beyond research, the funding freeze has had devastating consequences for healthcare services.
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) described the situation as an “unprecedented crisis,” warning that thousands of people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) now face severe disruptions in care. Clinics have been forced to shut down, frontline healthcare workers have lost jobs, and crucial services like HIV testing, antiretroviral treatment (ART) distribution, and harm reduction programs have been suspended.
Public hospitals, already overwhelmed, are struggling to absorb patients previously treated at USAID-supported facilities. At Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg, HIV testing has become sporadic due to a lack of counsellors. In Hillbrow, patients seeking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) arrived to find their clinic closed. Programs supporting gender-based violence survivors and LGBTQIA+ health initiatives have also collapsed.
South Africa’s health minister confirmed that 15,000 jobs in the sector have been affected, with Pepfar-funded initiatives previously supporting thousands of healthcare workers.
Experts warn that this rollback threatens decades of progress in HIV/AIDS management, with no clear indication of whether or when U.S. funding might resume.
This article was compiled from various sources including:
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