Zambia signs US health deal after disputes over data-sharing

What the report says

Zambia has signed a five-year health financing agreement with the United States, resolving months of dispute over the terms of US support. BBC Africa reports that the memorandum of understanding, signed in Lusaka on Thursday alongside a separate data-sharing arrangement, is worth about $1.5bn and will support health programmes while Zambia also contributes funding.

The talks drew public criticism earlier this year after a leaked draft raised concerns that Zambia might be giving up too much control over medical data, and some activists also alleged the deal could be linked to access for US firms to mineral resources. Zambian and US officials denied that interpretation. Health Minister Roma Chilengi said the revised version no longer includes provisions requiring the transfer of biological specimens to the US and would not allow the sharing of individual patient records.

According to the report, data exchange is now limited to information needed to monitor and evaluate the programmes funded under the agreement. The funding is meant to cover HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, disease surveillance and wider health-system work. The US said the arrangement reflects a shift toward shared responsibility after cuts to USAID, which had previously been a major source of support in several African countries.

The agreement matters because it replaces earlier US-backed health aid while also addressing privacy and sovereignty concerns that had become politically sensitive in Zambia. BBC Africa notes that similar deals have been accepted by some African governments, while others have rejected them over data and specimen-sharing conditions.