Zambia says US health funding talks stalled over minerals, data terms

After a months-long impasse, Zambia has detailed the reasons why discussions on a United States health funding deal have reached a deadlock.

Harare said the talks stalled due to contentious terms linked to proposed critical minerals deals and data sharing concerns.

The announcement comes as Washington has been rolling out a string of tightly-controlled health aid agreements across Africa, after closing its USAID agency.

The US had proposed $2 billion in health funding over five years.

However according to Zambia’s foreign minister, negotiations were postponed due to “the incorporation of terms that the Zambian Government considers unacceptable.”

The government objected in particular to provisions in data sharing, which it said would breach citizens rights to privacy.

The US-Zambia offer was leaked earlier this year by an NGO. The funding it proposes marks a decrease from what the country received under the Biden administration.

The deal offers $320 million of US funding this year to Zambia’s health sector, and the amount is set to decrease annually to reach $112 million in 2030.

In comparison, Zambia was given more than $400 million in health sector aid from Washington in 2024.