US admits error after flawed Africa map shown at AIDS conference

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People protest during the opening ceremony of the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 27, 2026. (Photo by Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP)

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The US State Department acknowledged “an unfortunate error” on Thursday after an inaccurate map of Africa was displayed at an AIDS conference in Brazil earlier this week.

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“We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners,” a State Department spokesperson said.

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A slideshow presented by the US delegation at a major international conference on AIDS earlier this week had six African countries incorrectly located.

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Nigeria, for example, was shown as a landlocked country in the center of the continent, while Mozambique was placed in the Horn of Africa and Cote d’Ivoire in southern Africa.

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Conference participants revealed the error, first reported by Reuters, in social media posts.

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The State Department said a member of the team on the ground had hastily modified the slideshow just before the presentation on US global health assistance.

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Despite the error, the United States hailed “substantive and constructive” discussions at the conference.

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The 26th International AIDS Conference opened Monday in Rio de Janeiro after the United States drastically reduced its international aid budget following Donald Trump’s return to the White House last year.

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Despite the massive cuts, the United States still accounts for 74 percent of public funding devoted to combating HIV worldwide, according to a UNAIDS report published for the Rio conference.

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AFP

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