Zambia has signed a five-year health financing agreement with the United States, concluding months of public disputes regarding the potential trade of citizens' medical data and mineral rights for aid. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Lusaka on Thursday, alongside a data-sharing deal, with the US committing approximately $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) to the initiative, while Zambia will also contribute.
Background
Civil society groups had previously criticized a leaked draft of the agreement, claiming it permitted excessive data sharing. Activists raised concerns that health funding was being linked to preferential access for US companies to Zambia's mineral resources, a claim that the then-US ambassador denied. This agreement follows the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which had been accused by US President Donald Trump of wasteful spending. Since then, Washington has sought similar agreements with various African nations, advocating for partner governments to assume greater financial responsibility.
Countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have signed similar deals, while Ghana and Zimbabwe have rejected agreements due to conditions regarding data sharing and specimens.
Key Changes in the Agreement
Officials have stated that the revised text of Zambia's new deal addresses concerns related to privacy, intellectual property, and benefit-sharing. Health Minister Roma Chilengi emphasized that clauses requiring Zambia to send biological specimens to the US have been removed, ensuring that the agreement will not permit the sharing of individual patient records. Data exchange will be restricted to information necessary for monitoring and evaluating programs funded under the deal.
