A Wits University professor says major U.S. funding cuts should not derail South Africa’s HIV vaccine development programme.
Speaking during World AIDS Day commemorations, Professor Abdullah Ely from the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit says local collaborations are stepping up to sustain early-stage research.
He notes that partnerships with the Medical Research Council and other national bodies are helping scientists to continue to develop vaccine candidates aimed at neutralising HIV antibodies.
Ely says despite progress being slow with limited funding the fight against HIV remains alive.
“Developing an effective vaccine against HIV is crucial for ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Brilliant Consortium wanted to set up a pipeline for developing and testing HIV vaccines on the African continent, the solution by Africans for Africans we want to create capacity that allows African researchers to address a key issue facing the African continent. Funding cuts have slow down the work but we have secured funding to continue atleast some of the developmental aspects of the work.”
There is no vaccine to prevent #HIV infection.
However, with access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, HIV has become a manageable health condition, enabling people living with HIV to enjoy long, healthy and productive lives.
Learn more:… pic.twitter.com/lQGGbrxUAy
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 1, 2025
