US State Department faces criticism over inaccurate map at AIDS 2026

A map of the African continent presented by the US Department of State at the "AIDS 2026" conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has drawn sharp criticism due to significant geographical inaccuracies.

According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the slides presented by Jeff Graham, head of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), contained major distortions of African geography. The map incorrectly depicted Nigeria as a landlocked country, placed Mozambique in the Horn of Africa, and mislocated Côte d'Ivoire in the eastern part of the continent. The images of the map were first brought to public attention by AIDS expert Emily Bass.

Reports indicate that the map included a watermark suggesting the use of OpenAI tools in its creation. OpenAI has stated that it is investigating the matter.

The US Department of State has accepted responsibility for the error, attributing it to a rushed editing process of the presentation slides prior to the conference. Despite the incident, the agency emphasized that the discussions held during the conference were constructive and reaffirmed its commitment to continuing health cooperation with African nations. The "AIDS 2026" conference serves as a critical global platform for coordinating international efforts against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, bringing together policymakers, scientists, and activists to address public health challenges.