Zambia Set to Sign $3.6 Billion U.S. Health Pact Excluding Patient Data Sharing

LUSAKA, Zambia — LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Zambia has agreed to sign a revised health pact with the United States that drops controversial provisions requiring the country to hand over patient health data and specimens to the U.S. government.

The five‑year agreement totals $3.6 billion in combined funding from both nations for Zambia’s health services, said Minister of Health Roma Chilengi on Tuesday.

While Chilengi did not specify the U.S. contribution, he told ZNBC on Monday that Washington would supply $1.5 billion over the same period.

Since last year, the United States has negotiated similar bilateral health deals with about two dozen African countries, though several have resisted the patient‑data provisions.

The Trump administration is pursuing these bilateral accords as part of its “America First” agenda, following the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had been the world’s leading humanitarian donor.

Under the new arrangements, African countries are expected to steadily raise their own health‑sector spending as the United States slowly reduces its aid.

Nevertheless, the provisions obligating African nations to surrender health data and specimens on U.S. request have remained among the most contentious aspects of the deals.

Chilengi stated, “The agreement, as it currently stands, contains no specimen‑sharing requirements, and all clauses obligating Zambia to share individual health data have been completely removed.”

He added, “Zambia will not be required to share any specimens,” and described the United States as a vital partner, expressing gratitude for the support.

Chilengi said the signing is scheduled for Thursday.

According to State Department publications, the United States has already concluded health‑data and specimen‑sharing agreements with at least nine African countries, obliging them to transmit information within five days of a request.

Washington says it may then share the data and specimens with up to ten U.S. non‑governmental organizations for the development of diagnostics and treatments, though the specific entities have not been named.

The agreements state that the information will assist in monitoring and preparing for emerging infectious diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential, but they do not ensure that the contributing African nation will gain access to any resulting medical treatments.

Any treatments received would be contingent on funding availability and placed behind domestic U.S. needs, and the African country would also bear the cost.

In February, Zimbabwe, Zambia’s neighbor, turned down a U.S. health agreement partly because of its data‑ and specimen‑sharing stipulations.

Zimbabwean government spokesperson Nick Mangwana warned, “Our country would merely supply the raw material for scientific discovery without any guarantee that the resulting products would be available to our people in a future health crisis.”

The United States announced last month that it would terminate all health assistance to Zimbabwe.

Namibia, another southern African state, likewise objected to certain clauses, local media reported; the United States said it would phase out funding for Namibia’s HIV treatment and prevention program last month, although neither government publicly linked the move to the data‑sharing dispute.

Ghana has likewise rejected comparable terms.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said Washington sought data on endemic diseases and Ghana’s medical records, but Accra would retain no authority to inspect any medications or medical products entering the country.

He added that Ghana’s cabinet reviewed the proposal and dismissed it “in record time.”

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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

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