Page 12 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

will provide critical support to bolster vaccine Zimbabwe. This funding is for African institutions
research and development, including pre-clinical and scientists, to lead the discovery, design and
research, infrastructure and establishing a vaccine testing of HIV vaccine candidates and will provide
manufacturing industry in South Africa. KfW will even more opportunities for scientists across sub-
appoint an implementation consultant to support Saharan Africa to advance HIV vaccine research and
the KfW and to assist the SAMRC. The consultant will development and leverage the lessons learned from
be responsible for providing sector-specific support decades of U.S. government investments.
for project planning, management, monitoring and
evaluation, among others. Implementation of the The purpose of the meeting was for members from
programme will begin in April 2024. the consortium organisations, representatives from
USAID, collaborators (both current and potential) in
BRILLIANT the programme, and other stakeholders, including
In January 2024, the BRILLIANT (BRinging Innovation the US Health Attache, Gates Foundation, National
to cLinical and Laboratory research to end HIV In Department of Health, and Department of Science
Africa through New vaccine Technology) Consortium and Innovation, to discuss and share information
held its first in-person meeting in Cape Town, and knowledge on ongoing activities within the
South Africa. overall programme, particularly focusing on Year 1
work plans of the consortium.
As background, the BRILLIANT Consortium was
awarded funding amounting to US $45.6 million As almost two-thirds of new HIV infections occur in
over a period of 5 years by USAID (US Agency for sub-Saharan Africa, it is critical that African scientists
International Development) through a Cooperative lead this project. This award will broaden the
Agreement with the SAMRC as the lead field of partners and allow for greater leveraging
organisation. The partners in the consortium are of local resources, creative collaborations, and
from 8 African countries viz. South Africa, Nigeria, innovative science, which may be the source of a real
Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and breakthrough toward a safe and effective HIV vaccine.

10 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24