African Scientists Save HIV Vaccine Trial After US Cuts

A team of African scientists just pulled off something remarkable: they rescued their own HIV vaccine trial after losing $45 million in US funding.

The BRILLIANT Consortium had gathered in Zanzibar early last year, buzzing with excitement about launching Africa's first homegrown HIV vaccine. Over 100 researchers from across the continent were ready to turn years of planning into action. They had $45 million from USAID and were weeks away from enrolling their first trial participants.

Then everything stopped. A new executive order froze all foreign aid, and USAID faced massive cuts. The scientists received stop work orders almost immediately.

"That was crushing," says Penny Moore, a virologist at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. "You can shut down a clinical trial almost immediately, even though it takes months and months to gear up for one."

For medical scientist Nonhlanhla Mkhize, the loss felt especially cruel. "It's unprecedented, having a consortium that is made up of African scientists working toward an African problem in our labs here in Africa," she explains. The funding freeze threatened to end that dream before it truly began.

But the team refused to give up. They knew the science was solid and the need was urgent. Sub-Saharan Africa still bears the heaviest burden of HIV infections and deaths worldwide.

The researchers scrambled to find new funding sources, all outside the US government. They succeeded in patching together enough support to launch a scaled-down version of their vaccine trial.

The Ripple Effect

The rescue mission represents more than just one trial surviving. It marks a turning point for African scientific independence. For decades, researchers on the continent have relied heavily on Western funding to address their own health crises. Now they're proving they can mobilize resources and drive solutions themselves.

Moore believes a vaccine remains critical to finally getting ahead of HIV, even with new treatments like twice-yearly injectable medications. Her two decades of HIV research has also advanced understanding of the immune system more broadly, contributing to breakthroughs against COVID-19, RSV, and cancer.

"I'm afraid we will have to do it with or without because this matters too much to not finish the work," says Linda-Gail Bekker, director of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Cape Town.

The trial is now moving forward with its African-led team intact and their determination stronger than ever.