A coalition of civil society organisations has issued a strong warning to the government of Zambia, calling for an immediate halt to the signing of a controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States set to be concluded on April 1, 2026.
With the deadline fast approaching, the coalition says proceeding without public disclosure and parliamentary oversight risks undermining national sovereignty, public health integrity, and natural resource governance.
Speaking onbehalf of the CSOs Chitimbwa Chifunda says that while U.S. support has long been critical in sustaining Zambia’s health sector particularly in HIV/AIDS treatment any agreement that appears to tie life-saving aid to access to the country’s critical minerals raises serious ethical, economic, and governance.
The proposed agreement comes amid growing international interest in Zambia’s vast reserves of critical minerals such as copper and cobalt key components in global clean energy transitions.
The U.S. government is seeking to formalise a deal that would provide approximately $1 billion in health support over five years.
This funding would target HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, vaccines, maternal and child health, and pandemic surveillance.
The report also indicate that this health assistance may be conditional linked to expanded U.S. access to Zambia’s mineral resources, as well as sensitive health data and biological samples.
Against this backdrop, civil society actors in Zambia warn that the lack of transparency surrounding both the health MOU and the associated bilateral minerals agreement raises red flags.
They caution that fast-tracked or opaque commitments could weaken regulatory safeguards in the mining sector, expose communities to environmental harm, and compromise the country’s long-term health financing stability.
By Victoria Kayeye Yambani
