CSOs reiterate concerns over proposed $1 billion US health aid, say deal could undermine Zambia

A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has cautioned that the proposed US$1 billion United States health aid agreement could undermine Zambia’s interests if signed without full public disclosure, broad consultation, and parliamentary oversight.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reportedly valued at US$1.012 billion over five years, is intended to support programmes on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, vaccines, maternal and child health, and pandemic surveillance.

Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka on Monday, Chitimbwa Chifunda, who addressed the gathering on behalf of the coalition, warned that proceeding under the current terms risked compromising transparency, accountability, and national sovereignty.

Chifunda stressed that essential health assistance should not be tied—directly or indirectly—to access to Zambia’s critical minerals or other unrelated negotiations.

The CSOs urged the government to safeguard the country’s mineral wealth to strengthen national revenue and ensure that public funds adequately supported health financing gaps and other key sectors.

“The health system and mineral resources are strategic national assets. Decisions affecting them must prioritize public interest, be evidence-based, and support the urgent scaling up of health programmes,” she said.

The organizations participating in the advocacy include Oxfam, ActionAid, Publish What You Pay, Zambia Alliance of Women, Chapter One Foundation, the Fighting Inequality Alliance, and IPAS.

The CSOs warning follows a report published by the New York Times on March 16, 2026, suggesting that the U.S. may be conditioning health aid on expanded access to Zambia’s minerals and health data.

Global health and natural resource governance organisations have also raised alarm.

On March 26, 2026, more than 90 international development, public health, environmental, and faith-based organisations co-signed a letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reject the use of medical aid as leverage to pressure Zambia into signing a minerals agreement.

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