LUSAKA, Oct 6 – Zambia is set to sign a $1.5 billion health funding agreement with the United States after resolving differences over medical data and biological specimen sharing, Health Minister Roma Chilengi said on Tuesday.
The five-year agreement will provide $1.5 billion in U.S. health funding, while Zambia plans to commit approximately $2.1 billion of its own resources over the same period, according to Chilengi.
“The government is pleased to announce that it will sign the agreement … on Thursday,” Chilengi said at a press conference.
The agreement follows months of negotiations after Zambia raised concerns about provisions in the original framework, particularly requirements concerning health data and biological specimens. The government also objected earlier this year to an attempted linkage between health assistance and a separate agreement involving access to critical minerals.
Under the revised agreement, data sharing will be limited to information necessary to monitor and evaluate U.S.-funded health programmes. A provision that would have required Zambia to provide medical specimens to the United States has been removed. Zambian officials said no biological specimens will leave the country under the agreement.
The United States is a major financier of Zambia’s HIV/AIDS, malaria and broader public health programmes, making the agreement an important source of external financing for the country’s health system.
Health Funding Decoupled From Minerals
The final agreement also does not contain a reference to critical minerals, according to Chilengi. “There is no mention of critical minerals” in the health pact, he said, adding that he was not aware of a separate critical-minerals agreement currently being negotiated with Washington.
The issue had previously stalled negotiations. In May, Zambia said it opposed efforts to link the health agreement to a separate critical-minerals framework, while also objecting to data-sharing provisions on privacy grounds.
By September, Zambian officials said the two issues had been separated, paving the way for the revised health agreement to move toward signature.
Shift Toward Greater Domestic Financing
The agreement is also structured around a gradual increase in Zambia’s own health spending. Chilengi said U.S. funding would be provided over five years, with annual allocations expected to decline, while the Zambian government increases its contribution to sustain programmes beyond the period of U.S. support.
The arrangement reflects a broader shift in U.S. health assistance toward bilateral agreements that place greater emphasis on recipient countries gradually assuming responsibility for financing and sustaining programmes.
Other African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, have entered similar health agreements with Washington, while negotiations with some countries have faced disputes over data-sharing provisions. Ghana and Zimbabwe have rejected proposed agreements over such concerns, according to reports.
For Zambia, the agreement provides a substantial external financing commitment while giving the government greater control over the handling of health data and biological specimens.
