• Zimbabwe ends talks on a $367 million, five-year U.S. health accord

• President Mnangagwa calls the draft agreement “clearly unbalanced”

• The decision comes as Washington reshapes foreign aid under “America First”

Zimbabwe has ended negotiations over a bilateral health memorandum of understanding with the United States, according to a statement released Wednesday, Feb. 25, by the U.S. Embassy in Harare.

The proposed agreement would have provided $367 million over five years to support Zimbabwe’s priority health programs, including H.I.V./AIDS treatment and prevention, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and epidemic preparedness.

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Harare, Zimbabwe, February 24, 2026 – The Government of Zimbabwe has… pic.twitter.com/LC25AZDXdn

— U.S. Embassy Harare (@USEmbZim) February 25, 2026

In a December 2025 memorandum disclosed by local media, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa described the draft agreement as “clearly unbalanced,” saying it compromised and undermined the country’s sovereignty and independence.

The United States said it would align with Harare’s decision. “We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe,” U.S. Ambassador Pamela Tremont said. She added that the partnership would have delivered substantial benefits, particularly to the 1.2 million men, women and children currently receiving H.I.V. treatment through U.S.-supported programs.

Similar Agreements Across Africa

Washington has signed comparable health cooperation agreements with several African countries. In Kenya, a similar accord was concluded in December 2025. Days later, Kenya’s High Court temporarily suspended the framework after the Consumer Federation of Kenya and Senator Okiya Omtatah filed a petition citing concerns over data protection and the 2025 Digital Health Data Exchange Regulations. The consumer group argued that citizens, as holders of health data, had not been consulted and that the agreement threatened the constitutional right to privacy.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has reduced foreign aid and shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had played a central role in financing key programs across the continent, including health, food security, education and governance.

Under the new “America First” global health strategy, Washington has launched a series of health agreements with African countries. Sixteen countries, including Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire, have signed such cooperation accords to date, representing more than $18.3 billion in new health financing — including over $11.2 billion in U.S. support and $7.1 billion in co-investment from participating governments.

Lydie Mobio