Africa HIV Vaccine Trial Survives Funding Cuts and Advances Broadly Neutralising Antibody Strategy

Overview

In this Shortwave report, NPR follows Penny Moore and her team in South Africa as they push an HIV vaccine forward amid a funding crisis. The researchers rely on samples donated over two decades by 117 South African women to map HIV’s evolution and immune evasion, aiming to harness broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) to protect against diverse viruses.

The narrative centers on a pivotal moment when a planned Africa-wide trial stalled after a Trump-era foreign aid freeze cut USAID funding. The team pivots to South African funding and the Gates Foundation, reframing the project to focus on South Africa and local environments while maintaining urgency as infections persist. A community liaison in Cape Town introduces ethically grounded participation by local young women who see value in fighting HIV through research.

Context and Introduction

The episode opens inside a Johannesburg lab where Penny Moore, a virologist at the University of Witwatersrand, describes freezers named after the seven dwarfs, each storing samples donated over 20 years by the same group of 117 South African women. These samples have formed the backbone of a detailed portrait of HIV—how it infects, hides, and changes across populations. The project’s ambition is clear: to develop a vaccine that could coax the human immune system into producing broadly neutralising antibodies, capable of stopping a wide range of HIV strains.

"These samples have taught us everything we know about HIV, including why the virus is so skilled at evading our bodies' defenses." - Penny Moore, Virologist

Funding Crisis and Strategic Pivot

At a Zanzibar meeting in early 2025, researchers felt momentum toward a continent-wide vaccine trial, funded by a $45 million USAID grant. But when President Trump signed an executive order freezing foreign aid, the program’s funding was gutted, and the team faced a sudden halt just weeks before the trial’s start. Linda Gail Becker, who directs the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, recalls the moment as a crash in the sprint they had barely begun. The team responded by seeking new grants and partnerships, ultimately securing about $2.2 million from the South African Medical Research Council and the Gates Foundation. The scope narrowed to South Africa, trading some breadth for timeliness while acknowledging the tradeoffs of studying diverse viral variants across populations.

"We've kind of had our legs cut off even as we're beginning to run the sprint." - Linda Gail Becker, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation

From Lab Freezers to bnAbs Vaccine Strategy

Despite the downsizing, Moore emphasizes that HIV vaccine research is farther along than ever. The team returns to the freezer room to extract more insights from the donated samples, focusing on broadly neutralising antibodies that can halt HIV from multiple people. These antibodies—often rare and emerging late in infection—offer a blueprint for vaccines that could elicit their production pre-emptively. The episode walks through the core scientific question: can the immune system be guided to produce bnAbs in a way that provides broad protection against diverse HIV strains?

Trial Launch in Cape Town and Community Engagement

The narrative moves to Cape Town’s Felipe Village, where Amelia Nfiki, a community liaison, helps organize a roomful of young women invited to participate in the vaccine trial. Nandeep Hamongo, 25, speaks for many in her community, describing the daily realities of HIV risk and the desire to contribute to change. The personal stakes for these volunteers—trauma, stigma, and disease burden—underscore why clinical science must engage communities with respect and transparency. The episode notes that the first injections began in January and will continue over several months, signaling a renewed sense of progress and urgency on the continent.

"Living free." - Nandeep Hamongo, participant

What Comes Next

The episode closes by highlighting the broader goal: if this South Africa-focused trial can reveal strategies to induce bnAbs, a new class of HIV vaccines may become feasible for diverse African populations and beyond. The story credits ongoing philanthropic and governmental support, including Pulitzer Center coverage and Gates Foundation backing, while underscoring how the scientific and community work remains inseparable. Ari Daniel, a freelance science reporter, frames the narrative as a testament to scientific perseverance in the face of political and financial headwinds, with a reminder that progress in HIV vaccine development is a public health imperative that demands sustained investment and cross-border collaboration.

"HIV vaccine research is farther along than it's ever been." - Penny Moore, Virologist