Zimbabwe rejects $350m US health deal, citing sovereignty concerns

Zimbabwe has abandoned a proposed $350 million health funding agreement with the United States, following a directive from President Emmerson Mnangagwa who described the proposed deal as one-sided and undermining national sovereignty.

According to a previously unreported document, Albert Chimbindi, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, communicated the President's directive to the secretaries of finance and health in a letter dated December 23, 2025. "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 letter reads.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was promoted by Washington as the framework for future US health support under its America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS). However, Harare rejected the conditions as unacceptable.

Key points of contention included US demands for direct access to Zimbabwe's health data, which officials considered an intelligence overreach, and attempts to gain access to the country's critical mineral resources.

Zimbabwe also objected on principle, arguing that entering a bilateral health agreement with Washington would contradict its commitment to multilateralism, especially given the United States' withdrawal from the World Health Organization under the Trump administration. Officials argued that signing the MoU would effectively legitimise Washington's exit from the global health system.

Despite Zimbabwe's stance, the US has secured similar agreements with at least 14 African nations under the AFGHS framework.

The rejection comes amid looming cuts to US humanitarian funding for Zimbabwe. Following the dismantling of USAID, which had funded programmes including HIV medicine provision, the Trump administration is reportedly ending all humanitarian support to seven African countries, including Zimbabwe, as part of a "responsible exit," according to an internal State Department email reported by The Atlantic. Projects in countries including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, and Zimbabwe will not be renewed, citing a lack of alignment with US national interests.

The US Embassy in Harare had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.