Zambia Rejects $2 Billion U.S. Health Deal Over Minerals Dispute

Zambia has turned down a US$2 billion U.S. health assistance package, with Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe alleging it was contingent on granting American companies preferential access to the country’s critical minerals and required sensitive health data transfers that would violate citizens’ privacy. The U.S. Embassy has not commented publicly; outgoing Ambassador Michael Gonzales has called the claims “patently false.”

The dispute signals growing African resistance to a broader shift in U.S. foreign aid under the Trump administration, away from established programs such as PEPFAR and toward transactional arrangements that bundle health funding with commercial and strategic conditions.

Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya have similarly rejected or suspended comparable deals, citing concerns over privacy, transparency, and access to health innovations.

Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, has drawn substantial foreign investment in its mineral sector. Copper and cobalt – critical inputs for electric vehicle batteries and solar power systems – sit at the center of intensifying U.S. efforts to diversify supply chains away from Chinese dominance.

Washington’s linkage of aid to resource access reflects that strategic priority, though it is proving a difficult sell across the continent.