Entrepreneur and head of the US Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, has sparked controversy by criticising the shipment of 50 million dollars (3.1 billion meticals) worth of condoms, on the assumption that the destination was the Gaza Strip in the Middle East. However, the money was for an HIV/AIDS prevention programme in Gaza province in Mozambique, according to the newspaper O País.
The confusion came to light during a press conference at the White House, when Musk condemned funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming that the aid sent was a waste. However, a CNN investigation revealed that the money was not destined for the Gaza Strip, but for Gaza province in Mozambique, one of the regions most affected by HIV/AIDS in the country.
When confronted about the error, Musk admitted the confusion and guaranteed that his team would quickly correct any inaccurate information.
‘Firstly, some of the things I say will be incorrect and will have to be corrected. We will make mistakes, but we will act quickly to correct any errors,’ said the head of US government efficiency.
Despite the correction, Musk remained critical of the amount involved, questioning whether allocating 50 million dollars for condoms was an appropriate use of US taxpayers’ resources.
‘I’m not sure we should be sending that amount in condoms anywhere, frankly. I don’t know if it’s something Americans would be really excited about,’ he said.
Gaza province has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country, with 20.9 per cent of the population living with the virus, according to the National Institute of Health. However, the Gaza Provincial Health Services denied having received condoms corresponding to the amount quoted by Musk and clarified that the distribution is not done directly by USAID.
The episode has raised debate about US funding of global health programmes and how information about these investments is communicated to the public.
