The US government’s mislabelled map of Africa at a global Aids conference shows again a failure to understand the continent | Kenneth Ngure

This crude lack of thought is influencing crucial budget decisions on HIV programmes, which were cut by 25% worldwide in 2025 At the end of July, thousands of scientists, advocates and policymakers gathered at Aids 2026, the 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro, to advance the global HIV response. But during one high-profile session, a jarring moment threatened to derail our focus: a slide presented by a senior US state department official displayed a map of Africa with countr...

By Kenneth Ngure