Zambia And Zimbabwe Back Away From ‘Prescriptive’ US Health Deals - Health Policy Watch

The United States will end funding for Zimbabwe’s health programmes at the end of September following the collapse of negotiations over a US-proposed deal that Zimbabwe rejected in part over a requirement to share sensitive health data, the US Embassy said on Friday. An embassy spokesperson in Harare confirmed the decision and released remarks delivered this week by US Ambassador Pamela Tremont at an event titled “Beyond assistance. "Tremont said the end of US-supported health programmes followed “Zimbabwe’s decision to decline a bilateral health MOU. " She added that the US will now shift its relations with Zimbabwe “from one largely focused on health and humanitarian assistance, to one built on broader economic, trade and investment opportunities.”Zimbabwe is among the first countries to face action following Washington’s new approach to tie health aid to bilateral country-to-country agreements. Data safety concernsThe withdrawal casts uncertainty over programmes to combat HIV and other diseases. For decades, the US has supported Zimbabwe in its fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.