HARARE – The Government of Zimbabwe has abandoned negotiations for a proposed US$350 million health funding agreement with the Donald Trump administration after Emmerson Mnangagwa directed officials to halt discussions, arguing that national sovereignty outweighed the potential benefits of the deal despite mounting challenges in the country’s health sector.
In a memorandum dated 23 December 2025, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Chimbindi instructed senior government officials to discontinue negotiations on a proposed health cooperation agreement under Washington’s America First Global Health Strategy.
“The President has directed that Zimbabwe must discontinue any negotiation with the USA on the clearly lopsided MoU that blatantly compromises and undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe as a country,” the memorandum stated.
The directive was sent to Finance Secretary George Guvamatanga and Health Secretary Aspect Maunganidze, with copies to senior government officials.
Government officials said the proposed Memorandum of Understanding would have governed future American health support but raised concerns about Zimbabwe’s independence in managing its national affairs.
Among the objections were provisions that would have allowed the United States direct access to Zimbabwe’s health data over a specified period, which authorities viewed as excessive external oversight.
Zimbabwe also objected to what it considered broader conditions attached to the agreement, including proposals linked to access to critical mineral resources.
Officials further argued that entering into a bilateral health agreement would contradict Zimbabwe’s commitment to multilateral cooperation in global health matters.
The decision to abandon negotiations comes as Zimbabwe faces declining external support following major cuts to United States development assistance.
The United States has suspended a significant proportion of programmes funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously supported Zimbabwe’s health sector through training, equipment purchases and infrastructure development.
The cuts followed a review announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which resulted in the cancellation of thousands of aid contracts worldwide.
In Zimbabwe, USAID-funded programmes had supported rural clinics, health worker training and the procurement of medical equipment.
Mnangagwa’s government has constantly said the country has alternative plans to sustain essential services despite the reduction in donor support.
Zimbabwe’s decision to prioritise sovereignty comes against the backdrop of a struggling public healthcare system.
The country has consistently fallen short of the 2001 Abuja Declaration target requiring African Union member states to allocate at least 15 percent of national budgets to health.
Concerns about deteriorating conditions have been raised by senior officials, including Youth Empowerment Minister Tinoda Machakaire, who, last year, publicly expressed alarm after visiting a public health institution and witnessing what he described as serious challenges facing patients and medical staff.
His remarks reflected growing public concern over shortages of medicines, equipment and basic supplies in government hospitals.
Following those concerns, Mnangagwa himself conducted unannounced visits to major public hospitals in Harare to assess conditions.
He toured facilities including Parirenyatwa Hospital and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, where he observed infrastructure problems and shortages of essential drugs and equipment.
Mnangagwa said he made the visits to the health institutions “to gain a clearer understanding of the current state of our public health services.”
He added: “Strengthening healthcare delivery remains a central focus of the Second Republic.”
Last week, the US government launched a new long-acting HIV prevention treatment, lenacapavir, in Zimbabwe as part of efforts to support the country’s fight against HIV and move toward an AIDS-free generation.
The programme was introduced in Epworth by officials from the United States Embassy, who described lenacapavir as an innovative prevention method administered twice a year to help reduce new HIV infections, particularly among vulnerable groups.
Developed by Gilead Sciences, the treatment is expected to support about 271,000 people over the next three years and could help prevent thousands of new infections.
