The United States government will provide Namibia with $45 million for its HIV response in fiscal year 2027, after which the southern African nation will be expected to finance its own programmes to combat the virus, with Washington assuming responsibility solely for “technical cooperation”, according to a joint statement issued by both governments.
In recent years, Namibia has received approximately $45 million annually through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The United States says it has contributed more than $1.1 billion to Namibia’s HIV response since 2003.
Although the withdrawal of funding had been anticipated since the Trump administration announced its “America First” approach to foreign aid, the decision comes after Namibia rejected proposed provisions governing the sharing of health data and biological samples with the United States. The Namibian government cited concerns over privacy, national sovereignty, and domestic legislation.
The Trump administration has been concluding country-by-country agreements that Washington says will reduce donor dependency, increase domestic financing, and safeguard American interests. Since late last year, the US has signed such agreements with approximately 30 countries, many of them in Africa.
However, Ghana’s government rejected a proposed agreement over concerns relating to access to sensitive health data, while Zimbabwe walked away from a $367 million package over similar objections. In Kenya, a legal challenge suspended a $2.5 billion agreement. Zambia has also pushed back against data-sharing requirements.
Namibian authorities had previously stated that the proposed provisions, in their original form, “were not in compliance with Namibian national laws” and violated constitutional protections regarding privacy and national sovereignty over biological resources.
Both governments are now reported to be negotiating a new bilateral health agreement.
The joint statement noted that Namibia has exceeded targets set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV, achieving 96% of people living with the virus knowing their status, 98% of those diagnosed receiving treatment, and 98% of those on treatment reaching viral suppression.
“Over the coming year, this support will transition to a technical cooperation model as the HIV response is fully integrated into Namibia’s sustainable national health system, in accordance with Namibian national laws,” the two governments said in the joint statement.
The United States recently also announced the phased elimination of more than $400 million in annual support for HIV programmes in South Africa. Washington has similarly begun a “phased reduction” of PEPFAR funding to that country — a programme credited with supporting South Africa’s response to HIV and AIDS over the past two decades and widely attributed with helping to save more than 20 million lives during that period.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/08/mundo/africa/namibia-eua-cortam-apoio-de-45-m-ao-programa-de-combate-ao-vih/
