Zimbabwe responds to U.S. aid withdrawal

The government has stopped short of telling the United States of America to go hang following the termination of financial aid to African countries.

Zimbabwe is among the African nations affected by the Executive Order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which halts aid to Africa.

Financial aid had previously alleviated the country's burden in tackling HIV and AIDS through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Responding to questions in the National Assembly recently, Deputy Minister of Health Sleiman Kwidini stated that the government would cover the gaps left by the withdrawal of U.S. funding.

"Yes, there might indeed be an impact from the withdrawal of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, what I want the Honourable Member to be aware of is the policy. When a policy is formulated, it is not wholly dependent on other stakeholders with whom we may collaborate to improve the livelihoods of our people.

"Nevertheless, the issue is now before the Ministry and the Government at large because we had an agreement and collaboration with these stakeholders, who have now withdrawn their support.

"It is now the mandate of the Ministry and the Government to ensure that these programmes, which were previously supported by external stakeholders, are now fully managed by the Ministry so that we can cover the gap left by the withdrawal of funding," said Kwidini.

An estimated 1.2 million Zimbabweans are benefiting from PEPFAR, with 1,600 public hospitals and clinics having received technical support from the U.S. government.

Last year, Zimbabwe achieved the 95-95-95 goals in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but there are concerns that this progress might be derailed if the government fails to find a solution to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of U.S. support.

Kwidini said a clear plan is being formulated to allocate funds accordingly.

"In terms of HIV and AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, these were originally Government programmes. We then had stakeholders who came in to fund those programmes. As we speak, our technocrats are working to ensure that we cover the gap left by these programme implementers, as they were supporting our national policies.

"However, as policymakers, and as I mentioned earlier, the Ministry's technocrats are currently exploring the best ways to develop solutions, particularly in budgeting and human capital, which have been affected by the withdrawal of these funds. Essentially, the policy already exists, but what has been withdrawn is the support we were receiving from the funders," he said.

As Zimbabwe navigates this financial setback, the government remains under pressure to secure alternative funding sources to sustain critical health programmes and maintain the country's progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases.