The United States said it will begin winding down health assistance to Zimbabwe after negotiations over a proposed multi-million-dollar bilateral funding agreement broke down.
The US Embassy in Zimbabwe said Washington had offered $367 million over five years to support priority health programs, including HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and disease outbreak preparedness.
The proposal would have marked the largest potential health investment in Zimbabwe by any international partner.
“Difficult and regrettable task”
US Ambassador Pamela Tremont said the breakdown in talks would force Washington to scale back its support.
“We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe,” Tremont said in a statement on Tuesday.
She described the proposed funding as offering “extraordinary benefits for Zimbabwean communities — especially the 1.2 million men, women, and children currently receiving HIV treatment through US-supported programs.”
Tremont added that Zimbabwe had indicated it was prepared to continue its HIV response independently. “We wish them well,” she said.
The US has been Zimbabwe’s largest bilateral health donor, providing nearly $2 billion in assistance since 2006. US officials say the funding has been “directly responsible” for Zimbabwe meeting United Nations HIV treatment and viral suppression targets.
Harare cites sovereignty and data concerns
Zimbabwean authorities said they rejected the proposal over concerns about data sharing, fairness and sovereignty.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said the US offer was tied to “comprehensive access to Zimbabwe’s sensitive health data, including virus samples and epidemiological information from our citizens.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed that negotiations be terminated because the US was not offering reciprocal guarantees, Mangwana said.
“The United States was not offering reciprocal sharing of its own epidemiological data with our health authorities,” he said. “In essence, our nation would provide the raw materials for scientific discovery without any assurance that the end products would be accessible to our people should a future health crisis emerge.”
Zimbabwean officials also criticized Washington’s shift toward bilateral “America First” agreements, calling it “a departure from the multilateral frameworks.” Mangwana said virus data with pandemic potential should be shared exclusively through the World Health Organization system to ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments.
Public health experts warn of risks
Zimbabwe’s College of Public Health Physicians urged continued dialogue, warning that an abrupt withdrawal of US funding could destabilize critical services.
“An abrupt discontinuation of such support could risk treatment interruption, increased transmission, the emergence of drug resistance, and additional strain on the health system,” the college said in a statement.
Zimbabwe has recently begun rolling out lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention drug administered twice a year, with support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund. The collapse of talks raises questions about future deliveries under the programme.
Broader US health policy shift
The dispute comes amid a broader reconfiguration of US global health engagement under President Donald Trump, including a move away from multilateral institutions and the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development.
The US embassy said agreements worth more than $18 billion have been signed with 16 African countries under the new bilateral framework, with recipient nations contributing about $7.1 billion to boost domestic investment in health systems.
Zimbabwe, however, has opted not to proceed under the proposed terms, setting the stage for a significant shift in its public health financing landscape.
Key Takeaways
- The US has been Zimbabwe’s largest bilateral health donor, significantly impacting HIV treatment and public health.
- Zimbabwean authorities rejected the funding proposal over concerns about data sovereignty and fairness.
- Public health experts warned that the abrupt withdrawal of US funding could lead to severe health crises, including increased transmission of diseases.
