HARARE - Zimbabwe has withdrawn from negotiations on a proposed US$350 million health funding agreement with the United States, with the government saying the terms of the deal undermined the country’s sovereignty and national interests.
According to Zimbabwean online publications, President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed officials in December 2025 to halt negotiations on the proposed health memorandum of understanding (MoU), describing the agreement as one-sided and inconsistent with Zimbabwe’s sovereign position.
The Zimbabwean also reported that Harare rejected the proposed pact over concerns that certain provisions, including those relating to access to Zimbabwe’s health data systems, compromised national independence.
In a clarification published by State-owned The Herald, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana said the president’s directive was grounded in safeguarding Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and ensuring that international cooperation arrangements do not undermine national control over strategic sectors such as public health.
The proposed MoU would have provided US$367 million over five years to support programmes targeting HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and disease outbreak preparedness.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed officials to halt negotiations on a proposed US-funded health memorandum of understanding. (Pic: IOL)