Zambia

Zambia Rejects U.S. Health Deal Amid Dispute Over Mineral Link

Did the U.S. coerce Zambia by tying health aid to mineral access or did Zambia simply miss a fair deadline?

Published MAY 5

Zambia Rejects U.S. Health Deal Amid Dispute Over Mineral Link

Story

Above: A medical worker takes care of a patient at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on Jan. 18, 2024. Image credit: Peng Lijun/Xinhua/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

The Trump administration never tied health funding to minerals — that claim is flat-out false and offensive. Washington committed over $2 billion in health support, restored nearly all assistance after a prior review, and continued paying salaries for 23,000 health workers across the country. Officials say months of outreach went unanswered, with Zambia missing the April 30 deadline and leaving a billion-dollar agreement unsigned despite repeated attempts to engage.

Business Insider Anadolu Agency

Anti-Trump narrative

Zambia was right to reject a deal tying $2 billion in health funding to preferential access for U.S. companies to its copper and other minerals. A leaked memo suggested the Trump administration was even prepared to withdraw support to force compliance and apply public pressure — that’s coercion, not diplomacy. Sovereign nations shouldn’t be pushed into trading away strategic resources just to keep 1.3 million HIV patients alive and sustain critical health programs.

New Vision Esquire