GROUNDUP: World’s largest biomedical research funder lifts ban on South Africa
Many clinical trials were halted and many researchers were retrenched when the US National Institutes of Health stopped funding.
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has lifted its ban on South Africa, nearly 18 months after the ban was imposed in February 2025. This decision comes after a memorandum signed by NIH director Jay Bhattacharya on August 17, 2025, which states that funding for "meritorious research projects" in South Africa may proceed. The NIH's ban on South African projects had caused a crisis for HIV and TB research, leading to many clinical trials being halted and researchers being retrenched.
The ban impacted critical research initiatives and decades of investments in research infrastructure, which have shaped global health policies and benefited both local populations and communities worldwide.
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