Latest news with #GlendaGray
eNCA
4 days ago
- Health
- eNCA
SA universities need R2-billion to save research programmes
JOHANNESBURG - South African universities are in crisis mode. The freeze in US funding has left major institutions scrambling to save critical health research programmes. In an urgent appeal, universities, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, have approached National Treasury, requesting R2-billion in local aid to prevent a collapse in research infrastructure that supports everything from HIV and reproductive health to broader public health systems. The freeze has already resulted in project terminations, staff retrenchments, and massive uncertainty with more cuts looming. Professor Glenda Gray has been at the forefront of HIV Aids research for decades.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fruits of Decades of AIDS Vaccine Research Imperiled by Trump's Withdrawal of US Funding
(Bloomberg) -- After decades of failed attempts, scientists were optimistic that a new generation of HIV vaccine candidates would finally succeed — changing the course of a pandemic that's claimed more than 42 million lives since 1981. But that hope is now dimming as the US moves to pull vital funding. Why Did the Government Declare War on My Adorable Tiny Truck? How SUVs Are Making Traffic Worse Trump Slashed International Aid. Geneva Is Feeling the Impact. These US Bridges Face High Risk of Catastrophic Ship Strikes Affordable Housing Developers Stalled by Blocked Federal Funds A leaked document detailing the fate of more than 6,200 USAID programs lists two leading HIV vaccine efforts among 5,341 projects earmarked for termination. The 281-page file, reviewed by Bloomberg News and first reported by The New York Times, outlines the Trump administration's plan to cut almost $28 billion in support for a wide range of global health initiatives — including Gavi, the vaccine alliance that immunizes hundreds of millions of children against deadly diseases such as measles and malaria. The largest HIV vaccine program on the chopping block is a long-running effort led by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, IAVI, which had been promised more than $319 million in US support dating back to 2016. While nearly $238 million had already been disbursed, IAVI said it had expected an additional $22 million through mid-2026. A stop-work order last month forced the organization to wind down operations and lay off staff. Another major casualty is a $45 million award to the South African Medical Research Council, intended to fund HIV vaccine trials across multiple countries. Only about $9 million of that funding will ultimately be received. 'We think it would be a tragedy not to continue the work,' said Glenda Gray, the council's chief scientific officer. Researchers had proposed scaling back the study to include only South Africa — excluding Kenya and Uganda — in hopes of making it 'more attractive to funders,' she said in an interview. With USAID support evaporating, scientists are now rushing to secure alternative funding, hoping the US National Institutes of Health will step in to prioritize the work. But it's unclear whether NIH — part of the Department of Health and Human Services — will be spared from broader austerity. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans Thursday to slash 10,000 jobs and shrink the agency's budget by $1.8 billion, part of the Trump administration's push to dramatically reduce the federal workforce and realign government with what it calls core priorities, including 'reversing the chronic disease epidemic.' Researchers estimate that hundreds of millions of dollars are still needed to bring an effective HIV vaccine to the finish line — a sum unlikely to come from any single donor. 'For the first time, based on work that's come out over the past few years, we know what the goal is and we have a good idea about how to achieve that goal,' said Mark Feinberg, IAVI's president and chief executive officer, in an interview before the proposed funding cuts came to light. 'We really need an HIV vaccine if we're going to end this epidemic.' --With assistance from Antony Sguazzin. Business Schools Are Back Google Is Searching for an Answer to ChatGPT A New 'China Shock' Is Destroying Jobs Around the World Israel Aims to Be the World's Arms Dealer The Richest Americans Kept the Economy Booming. What Happens When They Stop Spending? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
