Zambia Signs Five-Year US Health Deal After Data Concerns Removed

Zambia and the United States have signed a five-year health financing agreement valued at $1.5 billion, following the removal of disputed provisions involving patient data and biological specimens.

The agreement was signed on Thursday. Zambia’s Health Minister, Roma Chilengi, said information shared under the arrangement would be restricted to data needed to monitor and evaluate health programmes funded by the United States.

Data-sharing provisions revised

The negotiations had previously stalled over Zambia’s concerns about data privacy and an attempt by the United States to link health financing with access to critical minerals.

The government in Lusaka said the health agreement was not tied to a deal involving Zambia’s mineral resources. It said discussions on those resources would take place separately.

The United States has said health data and specimens could be provided to as many as 10 American non-government entities for the development of diagnostic tools and medical treatments. The data-sharing issue has also featured in negotiations with other African countries.

Ghana and Zimbabwe rejected agreements over data-sharing demands, while at least nine other African countries accepted the condition, according to the source report.

Funding and aid background

The combined contribution from Zambia and the United States is reportedly expected to reach $3.6 billion for health services over the five-year period. The available information does not provide a detailed breakdown of that total or of the $1.5 billion US-Zambia agreement.

Washington said in 2025 that it was withdrawing $50 million in annual aid to Zambia’s health sector because of what it described as “systemic theft” of donated medicines and medical supplies. That position formed part of the background to the subsequent negotiations.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pursuing bilateral health agreements with African countries after dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. The arrangements are intended to support a gradual increase in African government spending on health services as US assistance is phased out over time.

Zambia’s agreement now separates the health financing arrangement from negotiations over minerals, while setting a narrower stated scope for the sharing of health information.