Withdrawal Of Usaid Already Impacting Hiv Research: Abdool-karim

Professor Salim Abdool-Karim, Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme Research in South Africa CAPRISA says critical HIV/AIDS research programmes relying on donor funds from USAID have already been affected in the country.

Abdool-Karim says two vital research programmes aimed at HIV vaccines and modern technologies for prevention in women have been halted.

NGOs in KwaZulu-Natal, which has South Africas second highest burden of HIV, also say they are now in limbo with many forced to close their doors.

Professor Karim elaborates, "The impact is very significant and it affects all parts of our society. Research is also impacted by this exercise. USAID funds several research programmes and they fund them throughout Africa including South Africa. In South Africa, Im not aware of the entirety of what they fund but they are two large programmes that we are part of. One focuses on HIV vaccines and the other is on new technologies for prevention in women. And both those programmes have been put to a stop, so both those research efforts are no longer continuing. The irony of course is that the research thats being done is actually aiming to produce benefits that will be a benefit to the US as much as it is to every other country."

However, Abdool-Karim says South Africa has made significant strides in the treatment of HIV and AIDS patients, and the country can continue with clinical trials without the assistance of the United States albeit difficult to do so, without additional funding.