A United States government official has strongly refuted claims that a US$367-million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zimbabwe, designed to support the country's health sector, was covertly linked to securing access to Zimbabwe's critical minerals. The official clarified that the agreement was strictly centred on health cooperation and aimed at gradually transitioning financial responsibility from the American government to Zimbabwe over a five-year period. However, engagements between Zimbabwe and the US Embassy were discontinued in November of the previous year, with Zimbabwe citing concerns related to sovereignty and national security.

According to the US official, the MoU contained no provisions, either explicit or implicit, concerning critical minerals. The core objective of the agreement has consistently been the health of the Zimbabwean populace and the methodical handover of funding responsibilities to the Zimbabwean government. This clarification comes amidst fears that the cessation of US funding could undermine Zimbabwe's significant progress in combating HIV/Aids, a fight largely supported by America through the provision of condoms, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), and the recently introduced HIV prevention drug, Lenacapavir.

Further compounding these concerns, an US$85 million program supporting various related initiatives is slated to conclude by early April, with no indications that renewed engagements might revive it. The US official also addressed Zimbabwe's recent concerns regarding data protection, questioning how such issues could be raised now when Zimbabwe has been sharing detailed health data with America since 2006. The official explained that the MoU, in line with global practices, only provides for the collection and analysis of anonymous, aggregated health data crucial for targeting assistance, measuring program success, and ensuring timely responses to disease outbreaks, identical to the data shared since PEPFAR's inception.

In contrast, Permanent Secretary in Zimbabwe's information ministry, Nick Mangwana, told Global South World that the decision to end engagements stemmed from America's disapproval of Zimbabwe's request for American data. Mangwana argued that Zimbabwe would not gain from sharing its data, stating, "Whatever outcome they would have gotten from our data, would have been used to develop treatments and vaccines and make a lot of money with Zimbabwe getting nothing."

The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been instrumental in implementing HIV programmes across Zimbabwe since 2006. Its sustained efforts have played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe successfully achieving the UNAIDS 95/95/95 status. This benchmark signifies that 95% of all people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of those on life-saving drugs achieve viral suppression.