US ends health programmes in Zimbabwe after government rejects MOU

HARARE – United States-supported health programmes in Zimbabwe will end at the close of September after the government declined a proposed bilateral health agreement, U.S. Ambassador Pamela Tremont said Tuesday.

Speaking at the “Beyond Assistance” reception in Harare, Tremont said the decision would bring a transition in a health partnership that has run for more than two decades, with the U.S. Embassy now working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other partners on a handover.

“With Zimbabwe’s decision to decline a bilateral health MOU, U.S.-supported health programs will conclude at the end of September,” Tremont said.

“We respect Zimbabwe’s sovereign decision, and my health team from the Embassy is working diligently with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other partners to ensure a thorough and responsible handover.”

Tremont said U.S. health support over the past two decades had helped strengthen Zimbabwe’s health system and expand access to HIV prevention, care and treatment.

“Because of that, Zimbabwe has achieved HIV epidemic control, with more than 95 percent of people living with HIV receiving treatment,” she said.

“The priority now is to sustain these gains through strong national systems, continued access to quality services, and Zimbabwean leadership.”

The United States has changed the way it delivers health assistance globally, introducing a new Health MOU structure based on partnerships and co-investment with recipient countries.

Tremont stressed that the end of the health programmes did not signal a broader U.S. withdrawal from Zimbabwe.

“The United States is not going anywhere,” she said.

Instead, she said relations between the two countries were entering a new phase focused more heavily on commercial ties.

“The U.S.-Zimbabwe relationship now pivots: from one largely focused on health and humanitarian assistance, to one built on broader economic, trade and investment opportunities to drive prosperity for Zimbabweans and Americans alike,” Tremont said.

“This marks the beginning of that new chapter.”

She identified agriculture, technology, health, energy, infrastructure, climate-smart solutions, artificial intelligence and mining among areas where the United States sees opportunities for increased trade and investment.

Tremont said American companies were already employing thousands of Zimbabweans in sectors including business processing, commercial agriculture, mining and tourism, but wanted conditions conducive to further investment.

“American companies are ready – they only seek a level playing field, a predictable policy environment, and the opportunity to do well while doing good,” she said.

Source: US ends health programmes in Zimbabwe after government rejects MOU – Zimbabwe News Now

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