The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned of “huge concerns” over data and pathogen-sharing between African countries and the US under new health deals being pursued by the Trump administration.
Zimbabwe this week withdrew from talks with Washington for a $367 million bilateral health agreement, citing worries about sharing sensitive health data. “The arrangement was asymmetrical,” a Zimbabwe government spokesperson said. Zambia is also trying to renegotiate a $1 billion-plus deal with the US, saying that an earlier version “did not align with the position and interests of the government of Zambia,” without elaborating on the sticking points, Reuters reported.
The Trump administration has radically overhauled its approach to global health, focusing on bilateral deals tied to its “America First” strategy after dramatically paring back international aid including shutting down the US Agency for International Development. More than a dozen nations on the continent have agreed to health pacts with Washington in recent months: On Thursday, DR Congo signed a $1.2 billion agreement with Washington. Under a co-investment structure, the US will provide three-quarters of the funding over the next five years and Kinshasa will make up the rest.
