February 25, 2026. Zimbabwe has halted negotiations on a proposed $367 million bilateral health funding agreement with the United States, prompting Washington to begin winding down its long‑standing health assistance programs in the southern African country. The deal, which was discussed throughout late 2025 and early 2026, would have provided financial support over five years for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health services, and disease outbreak preparedness.
Government officials in Harare said the talks collapsed due to concerns about data sovereignty and perceived imbalances in the arrangement. “At its core, the arrangement was asymmetrical. Zimbabwe was being asked to share its biological resources and data over an extended period, with no corresponding guarantee of access to any medical innovations — such as vaccines, diagnostics, or treatments — that might result from that shared data,” government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said in a statement on Wednesday.
The United States Embassy in Harare confirmed that Washington will now begin winding down health assistance that has supported Zimbabwe for many years. U.S. Ambassador Pamela Tremont called the breakdown “a difficult and regrettable task,” noting the consequences for Zimbabwe’s health sector: “We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe,” she said.
Zimbabwe has been one of the largest African recipients of U.S. health aid. Washington’s programs — including support through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — have contributed to the country’s progress on HIV treatment targets. But the government said the terms of the new deal undermined national control. “When financial assistance is contingent upon concessions that touch upon national security, data sovereignty, or access to strategic resources … we cannot accept,” Mangwana added.
Health advocacy groups have raised warnings about the potential impact on patients and public health programmes. Zimbabwe’s College of Public Health Physicians said an abrupt discontinuation of U.S. support could “risk treatment interruption, increased transmission, the emergence of drug resistance, and additional strain on the health system.”
With the U.S. pivoting toward bilateral health agreements with other African countries under its new funding model, Zimbabwe now faces the challenge of replacing critical funding. Officials have not yet publicly outlined alternative financing plans or timelines to ensure continuity of care for millions of Zimbabweans who currently depend on foreign‑assisted health services.
