Key facts
- Zambia and the US signed a five-year health financing agreement.
- The deal is valued at approximately $1.5 billion from the US.
- Concerns over data privacy and mineral rights led to disputes.
- The revised agreement limits data sharing to program monitoring.
- Clauses on sending biological specimens to the US were removed.
Zambia has finalized a five-year health financing agreement with the United States, valued at approximately $1.5 billion, following months of public disputes. The deal, signed in Lusaka on Thursday, aims to resolve concerns over data privacy and the potential linkage of health aid to preferential access for U.S. companies to Zambian minerals.
Civil society groups had raised alarms over a leaked draft, arguing it permitted excessive data sharing and potentially compromised citizens' health information. Activists also pointed to reports suggesting a connection between health funding and U.S. access to Zambia's mineral resources, a claim denied by the former U.S. ambassador.
Health Minister Roma Chilengi stated that the revised agreement removes clauses requiring Zambia to send biological specimens to the U.S. and prohibits the sharing of individual patient records. Data exchange will be confined to information necessary for monitoring and evaluating U.S.-funded programs. This revised text addresses privacy, intellectual property, and benefit-sharing concerns that had stalled previous negotiations.
The agreement replaces a long-standing model of support that largely flowed through U.S. programs. The funding is designated for critical health areas including HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, disease surveillance, and strengthening the broader health system, such as hiring community health workers. Officials estimate the combined package, covering 2026 to 2030, at roughly $3.6 billion, with the U.S. expecting Zambia to increase its domestic spending over the five years.