The Cost of Silence: Why Cutting HIV Vaccine Funding Threatens Global Health Equity

In early 2024, a quiet decision in the United States budget office set off alarm bells among global health experts. At a moment when scientific progress against HIV had finally turned a corner, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) abruptly cut $258 million in funding earmarked for some of the most promising vaccine development programmes in decades, including projects led by IAVI and Scripps Research. … Continue reading The Cost of Silence: Why Cutting HIV Vaccine Funding Threatens Global Health Equity

Ilham A. Ridlo5 Jun 20253 Jul 2025Leave a comment

Science Blogs

When Science Is Local, Silence Is Global

In recent years, the international scientific community has mobilized swiftly to defend academic freedom when it is under threat in wealthy nations. During the Trump administration, when American climate scientists feared political retaliation, Canadian institutions opened digital repositories and established “climate sanctuaries”. Following Brexit, European funding agencies adapted frameworks to accommodate displaced British researchers. In 2022, Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation expanded its Philipp Schwartz … Continue reading When Science Is Local, Silence Is Global

Ilham A. Ridlo29 May 20253 Jun 2025Leave a comment

Science Blogs

Indonesia Just Left WHO’s Southeast Asia Region: Here’s Why That Matters for Global Health

In May 2025, Indonesia formally left the WHO’s South-East Asia Region (SEARO) and joined the Western Pacific Region (WPRO). While the shift was bureaucratically framed, the political and strategic implications are profound. This realignment reshapes Indonesia’s position in global health governance and offers insight into how middle-income countries are rethinking their multilateral engagements. The decision, finalized during the 78th World Health Assembly (see WHO Doc … Continue reading Indonesia Just Left WHO’s Southeast Asia Region: Here’s Why That Matters for Global Health

Ilham A. Ridlo26 May 20251 Comment

Science Blogs

Unpacking Indonesia-China Science Diplomacy

Science plays an important, yet often invisible, role in diplomacy. And while funding scientific research isn’t the most significant factor in determining a country’s global prowess, China’s recent science agreements with the low and middle-income countries in the Global South are a game-changer. As Beijing couples scientific collaboration with its business interests and the societal problems in the developing world, it is evident that China … Continue reading Unpacking Indonesia-China Science Diplomacy