After nearly 18 months of uncertainty, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has restored funding for research in South Africa, ending a freeze that disrupted vital HIV and TB programmes. The United States began suspending support for South African projects in January 2025, including NIH grants and aid from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The scientific journal Science reported that NIH director Jay Bhattacharya signed an internal memo lifting the ban. According to the memo, NIH grants are “distinct from the objectives traditionally associated with foreign aid or assistance”.
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South African researchers welcomed the decision while warning that the damage from the funding freeze would not be quickly reversed. They said the suspension had already caused job losses and interrupted major research programmes.
