Zimbabwe Fears US Withdrawal From WHO Will Lead To Aid Cuts To Countries Most Affected By HIV/AIDS

Reuters (1/22, Chingono) reports, “Zimbabwe’s finance minister expressed concern on Wednesday that a U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization will lead to aid cuts to countries such as his that are most affected by HIV/AIDS.” Warning that the US’ “withdrawal could signal cuts in health aid to countries such as Zimbabwe, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said: ‘Any country with an HIV/AIDS challenge will be impacted.’” Ncube added, “This is a concern, a fear we are expressing.” According to Reuters, “Zimbabwe receives over $200 million annually from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the U.S government has given Zimbabwe over $1.7 billion since 2006 to strengthen health systems and support people living with HIV, according [to] the U.S. embassy in Harare.”