HARARE – The United States embassy in Zimbabwe said it was time President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government prioritised the population’s health needs after pausing foreign assistance.
Zimbabwe’s health service is heavily reliant on donor funding, and the United States government is the largest contributor through USAID.
New President Donald Trump has issued an executive order for reevaluating United States foreign aid, ordering his secretary of state Marco Rubio to pause all foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID for review. The pause is for an initial 90 days.
Trump is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programmes to ensure they are efficient and consistent with US foreign policy under his ‘America First’ thrust.
In a statement on Thursday, the embassy said: “It is time for Zimbabwe to take seriously its responsibility for the health of its people.
“For HIV, Zimbabwe has hit the 95/95/95 targets. They urgently need to be focused on buying ART and getting nurses in clinics. They can do this.”
US funding included support in tackling HIV/Aids through the provision of contraceptives and drugs.
The US mission in Zimbabwe has consistently criticised official corruption and wasteful expenditure which has constrained treasury’s ability to sufficiently fund social services.
Uncertainty and confusion has followed Trump’s order, with Rubio’s State Department already having to issue a series of waivers.
On Tuesday, Rubio issued a waiver for life-saving humanitarian assistance which would allow people to continue accessing HIV treatment funded by the US across 55 countries worldwide, including Zimbabwe.
Rubio defined life-saving humanitarian assistance as core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.
“This waiver does not apply to activities that involve abortions, family planning conferences, administrative costs … gender or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance,” Rubio’s memo said.
The United States is the largest single donor of aid globally. In fiscal year 2023, it disbursed $72 billion in assistance.
The waiver is the latest head-spinning move for a president who has pushed boundaries since taking office on January 20. He has halted wide swaths of foreign aid, pardoned supporters who attacked U.S. Capitol police and offered buyouts to thin the ranks of civil-service workers.
