By Staff Reporter
THE United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela Tremont has slammed the decision by the Zimbabwean government to exit talks from a US$367 million funding deal saying such a move will only worsen the plight of innocent citizens.
The remarks come shortly after President Emmerson Mnangagwa 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 of understanding (MoU) was being promoted by Washington as the future framework for US health support to Zimbabwe under its America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS).
Responding to the decision, Tremont said this MOU would have provided $367 million over five years to support Zimbabwe’s priority health programs, including HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and disease outbreak preparedness.
“We believe this collaboration would have delivered extraordinary benefits for Zimbabwean communities— especially the 1.2 million men, women, and children currently receiving HIV treatment through U.S.-supported programs.
“We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe,” she said.
The US mission said the proposed MOU represented the largest potential health investment in Zimbabwe by any international funder and was built on a co-funding model designed to ensure sustainability and a path toward self-reliance.
The MOU asked Zimbabwe to gradually increase its own health funding alongside U.S. support, building on more than $1.9 billion in U.S. health support to Zimbabwe since 2006 that is directly responsible for Zimbabwe reaching the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals.
Sixteen African countries have so far signed health collaboration MOUs with the United States, which represents over $18.3 billion in new health funding including more than $11.2 billion in U.S. assistance alongside $7.1 billion in co-investment from recipient countries.
“The United States has a responsibility to American taxpayers to invest their resources where mutual accountability, transparency, and shared commitment are assured,” Ambassador Tremont noted.
“These MOUs set a higher standard for bilateral health cooperation—one that prioritizes sustainability, measurable outcomes, and shared ownership of results. The Government of Zimbabwe has assured us it is prepared to sustain the fight against HIV/AIDS, and we wish them well.”
