NIH Programs Build Synergy, Capacity in Africa

The NIH is increasing its investment in Africa, adding funds for genomics studies, related training and to build biorepositories and other scientific infrastructure. The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative, launched by NIH and the Wellcome Trust in 2010, recently announced its second round of awards, bringing the total funding for the multiyear project to about $74 million.

“Studying human diseases within populations with the greatest genetic variability and encouraging the contributions of our African colleagues should yield new insights about the role of genetics in health and disease,” said Dr. Eric D. Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), which helps coordinate NIH H3Africa grants.