Researchers feel the strain as US funding dries up

Researchers are seeking alternative funding after grants linked to US programmes were withdrawn.

Funding cuts are forcing researchers to seek replacement money for HIV surveillance and genetic testing.

During the National Health Laboratory Service’s (NHLS) recent “Women’s Health: Our Challenges. Our Science. Our Future” webinar, leading specialists highlighted the funding shortage affecting vital public health surveillance and research programmes.

The Department of Health is working on a self-reliance plan to minimise the impact of funding withdrawal since the initial freeze on foreign assistance and the cancellation of USAID grants in January 2025.

It noted that the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) was a big contributor to the country’s HIV programme, but not to the provision of antiretrovirals (ARVs), because 90% are procured from the government fiscus and 10% from the Global Fund.