Zambia to sign US$1.5 billion health funding agreement

Zambia is set to sign a five-year health cooperation agreement with the United States, totaling US$3.6 billion in combined funding. Under the deal, the United States will provide US$1.5 billion to support health initiatives, including HIV/AIDS and malaria programmes, maternal and child health services, and disease outbreak preparedness.

Negotiations for the memorandum of understanding had previously stalled due to concerns regarding data privacy and sovereignty. Zambian officials raised objections to clauses that would have required the sharing of sensitive medical data and biological specimens with American authorities. Health Minister Roma Chilengi confirmed that these contentious provisions, including the requirement to provide patient specimens, have been removed from the final agreement.

Zambia is also expected to increase its domestic health spending to US$2.1 billion over the same five-year period to ensure the sustainability of these programmes as US assistance is designed to decrease annually. The agreement aligns with a broader shift in US foreign aid policy aimed at transitioning recipient nations toward self-sufficient financing models. Additionally, the Zambian government clarified that the health pact contains no provisions linking aid to access to the country's critical mineral resources.