South Africa: World's Largest Research Funder Lifts Ban On South Africa

What the report says

The United States National Institutes of Health has lifted a ban on South Africa that had interrupted major research partnerships for nearly 18 months, according to GroundUp, distributed by AllAfrica. The reported decision follows an internal NIH memo dated 17 August, signed by director Jay Bhattacharya, which said funding for “meritorious research projects” in South Africa could move ahead again. The change comes after funding stops in early 2025 affected NIH grants and related US aid, creating strain for HIV and TB research programmes.

GroundUp reported that the earlier halt led to clinical trials being paused and researchers being retrenched. South African institutions and researchers said the cuts disrupted long-running collaborations, including work linked to US networks such as the ACTG and HVTN. Ntobeko Ntusi of the South African Medical Research Council said the reversal followed about a year of negotiations and reflected South Africa’s role as a co-funder and research partner rather than only a recipient of aid.

Researchers quoted in the article urged caution about the practical impact of the memo. Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre said some staff losses had already occurred and that funding support from local sources had not matched the lost NIH money. Landon Myer of the University of Cape Town said the sector should be cautiously optimistic because it is still unclear how much support will resume. The memo also indicated that Fogarty International Center training and career-development applications from South Africa would no longer be supported, which could affect future research capacity.