A flagship American anti-HIV aid programme credited with saving 25 million lives is in jeopardy after four Mozambican nurses were found to have conducted banned abortions, a top Republican has warned.

The flagship US aid programme on HIV/Aids is in jeopardy, a senior Republican warned on Thursday (Jan 16), after US officials said four nurses in Mozambique performed abortions that are banned under the multibillion-dollar programme that has saved millions of lives globally.

Republicans are fuming at the State Department after learning that aid recipients of the legacy program to curb HIV/AIDS across Africa, PEPFAR, performed abortions in violation of U.S. law. U.S. officials told members of Congress that a review of PEPFAR-funded service providers in Mozambique had revealed that four nurses had performed 21 abortions since Jan.