Government says the Zambia-United States Health Sector Co-Financing Agreement contains no linkages to Zambia’s critical minerals, mining assets or other natural resources.
Zambia and the United States will this week sign a US$3.623 billion health sector co-financing agreement covering the period 2026 to 2030, aimed at strengthening Zambia’s health system and increasing domestic financing.
The agreement will see the Zambian Government contribute US$2.1 billion, representing 58.2 percent of the total funding, while the United States will provide US$1.5 billion in technical and bilateral assistance.
Speaking at a media briefing, Minister of Health Professor Roma Chilengi said the agreement is purely focused on public health and social development, with no concessions tied to the country’s critical minerals or mining assets.
“The MoU is purely a public health and social development co-financing agreement. It contains absolutely zero conditionalities, linkages, or concessions tied to Zambia’s critical minerals, mining assets, or natural resources,” Prof. Chilengi emphasized.
He added that the fears surrounding specimen sharing and the external sharing of personal health information have also been addressed under the agreement. “There is no specimen sharing in the MoU,” he said.
Prof. Chilengi said data shared under the agreement will only comprise performance matrices and will not include personally identifiable patient information.
He stressed that the agreement has also undergone the necessary government processes, including approval by the Ministry of Justice and Cabinet.
Profe. Chilengi said the agreement is intended to move Zambia towards greater health sector self-reliance while ensuring uninterrupted delivery of essential services across all 10 provinces and 116 districts.
“The MoU marks a decisive shift away from historical donor dependency toward full national health sovereignty.” he stated.
The Minister noted that the agreement will also support the retention of 15,000 frontline health workers and the integration of 25,000 community health workers into the formal government structure.
He said the agreement prioritizes local procurement and indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturing to stimulate national economic development, local industry, and job creation.
