US apologises for wrong Africa map shown at AIDS conference

The U.S. State Department issued an apology Thursday for an "unfortunate error" after an incorrect map of Africa was shown at a major international AIDS conference in Brazil.

"We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners," a State Department spokesperson stated. The inaccurate map, presented by the U.S. delegation, misplaced six African countries. Notably, Nigeria was depicted as landlocked in the continent's center, Mozambique was shown in the Horn of Africa, and Cote d’Ivoire was placed in southern Africa.

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We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners.

Conference attendees first reported the error on social media, as initially reported by Reuters. The State Department explained that a team member on the ground had quickly altered the slideshow just before a presentation on U.S. global health assistance. Despite the geographical blunder, the United States described the discussions at the conference as "substantive and constructive."

The 26th International AIDS Conference began in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. This incident occurred after the United States significantly reduced its international aid budget following Donald Trump's return to the White House. Nevertheless, a UNAIDS report released for the conference indicated that the U.S. still provides 74 percent of global public funding for HIV prevention and treatment.

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substantive and constructive