US State Department Apologises After Africa Map Error at AIDS 2026 Conference

The US State Department has acknowledged an error after an inaccurate map of Africa was displayed during a presentation at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, with several African countries shown in the wrong locations, prompting criticism online and an apology from the State Department.

According to Al Jazeera, the incident took place during the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, where the US State Department was presenting new health agreements with African countries following the Trump administration’s unprecedented and deadly aid cuts. The map, shown midway through the presentation, was widely shared by conference attendees on social media, prompting ridicule and leading the State Department to admit it had been produced in error.

Attendees at the conference recorded videos and screenshots of the inaccurate map and posted them online, where they attracted thousands of views.

Video footage reviewed by Reuters showed the map appearing halfway through a presentation by Jeff Graham, the US health envoy who heads the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The map incorrectly placed Nigeria in the Sahara, while Mozambique, which is in southeastern Africa, appeared in the Horn of Africa. Ivory Coast, located in West Africa, was also shown on the opposite side of the continent. The boundaries on the map were depicted as irregular shapes and did not represent any real countries.

Reuters also found that the map carried a watermark indicating it was likely created using OpenAI tools. The company said it is investigating the incident.

Graham's State Department profile lists previous postings in Ghana and Ethiopia.

Al Jazeera reported that the US State Department acknowledged "an unfortunate error" on Thursday, saying the map had been produced by a team member who hastily modified the presentation slides shortly before the event.

“We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners,” the statement read, adding that discussions were “substantive and constructive” despite the error and that it remains committed to fighting AIDS.

According to Al Jazeera, before the Trump administration’s deadly decision to pause HIV funding last year pending a review, PEPFAR supported up to 20 million people across the world, especially in Africa, with life-saving antiretrovirals (ART). The programme was launched under the administration of former US President George W. Bush.

PEPFAR’s core work has resumed, but the US is still scaling back HIV prevention and surveillance efforts. Washington also plans to end the programme in South Africa, which has the world’s largest HIV burden.