Zimbabwe has turned down a proposed $367m (£272m) health funding agreement with the United States, citing concerns over sovereignty and the handling of sensitive...

Zimbabwe has turned down a proposed $367m (£272m) health funding agreement with the United States, citing concerns over sovereignty and the handling of sensitive biological data. Details of the decision emerged after a government memo from December was leaked, indicating that President Emmerson Mnangagwa considered the deal “lopsided”. The funding, spread over five years, would have supported programmes targeting HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and disease outbreak preparedness. According to Zimbabwean authorities, Washington required long-term access to biological samples and health data for research purposes, without guaranteeing that Zimbabwe would benefit from any resulting vaccines, diagnostics or treatments. Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana described the arrangement as “asymmetrical”, arguing that Zimbabwe would be supplying valuable scientific data...