Truth Under Siege: Why Salim Abdool Karim's Faraday Lecture Matters Now More Than Ever

In a world increasingly dominated by misinformation and institutional distrust, Professor Salim Abdool Karim’s 2024 Faraday Prize Lecture lands with the force of a thunderclap. Entitled “Science Under Threat: The Rise of Institutionalized Disinformation,” his address is not just a sobering assessment of our present — it is a call to action for the future of science, democracy, and truth itself.

The Virus of Disinformation

Karim, a globally respected epidemiologist and HIV/AIDS researcher, begins by recounting a disturbing lie: that the HIV virus was manufactured by U.S. scientists and spread via polio vaccines in Africa. This conspiracy theory, once fringe, found foothold thanks to politically motivated disinformation campaigns — notably one orchestrated by the KGB.

This is not just history. It's a template.

Karim traces how the deliberate spread of falsehoods — from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19 and beyond — has been weaponized by states, corporations, and individuals. In particular, he lays bare how Donald Trump's presidency transformed the U.S. government from a source of truth into a megaphone for unverified, often dangerous, claims. From bleach as a COVID cure to downplaying climate change, Karim highlights how institutional trust erodes when leaders themselves become super-spreaders of lies.

State Capture: A Global Pandemic

Perhaps the lecture’s most chilling insight is the notion of “state capture.” Using South Africa under Jacob Zuma as a case study, Karim details how leaders seize not just power, but the very machinery meant to hold them accountable — courts, media, law enforcement, and science agencies. Then he draws an alarming parallel: the U.S., he suggests, is on a similar path under Trump 2.0, complete with a dismantled Department of Justice, co-opted media, and gutted scientific agencies like NIH and the FDA.

Science as the Final Front

Karim argues that science is not just collateral damage in this war on truth — it's a primary target. Scientists are being silenced, data suppressed, and grants cancelled (especially those related to climate change, LGBTQ health, and infectious diseases). The consequences are global. Karim himself reports that his own HIV research unit in South Africa lost half its funding due to U.S. cuts.

And yet, amid the bleakness, he offers hope.

Karim calls on scientists to embrace a new, more public role: as truth sayers. When governments mislead, scientists must become society’s trusted navigators — clearly communicating evidence, rebuilding public trust, and pushing back against narrative manipulation. “Every small act of resistance matters,” he says, likening the fight for truth to the struggle against apartheid, which once also seemed insurmountable.

A Lecture for Our Times

More than a lecture, this was a manifesto. A reminder that the future of democracy, health, and planetary survival hinges on our collective capacity to defend facts. In an age where “experts” emerge from the universities of WhatsApp and Facebook, the real experts — scientists, doctors, journalists — must rise louder and more boldly than ever.

Karim’s words are urgent, necessary, and clear: if we don't stand up for science now, there may soon be nothing left to stand on.

Listen to the full lecture here: 

The Faraday Prize Lecture is an annual event organized by the Royal Society to honor the recipient of the Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture, awarded for excellence in communicating science to UK audiences. Named after the legendary scientist and communicator Michael Faraday, the prize celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to public engagement with science through writing, speaking, or broadcasting. The lecture provides an opportunity for the awardee to share their insights on science’s role in society, bridging complex scientific ideas with accessible, compelling narratives. In 2024, the prize was awarded to Professor Salim Abdool Karim, whose lecture tackled the urgent and global issue of institutionalized disinformation and its threat to science, democracy, and public trust.