Controversial US Health Deals Raise Concerns in Africa
Accusations of 'exploitation' as US seeks health data and mineral resources from African countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia in exchange for aid.
Concerns are mounting over the nature of new US health deals with African nations, as some accuse the superpower of 'exploiting' vulnerable countries in exchange for critical medical data and mineral resources. Zimbabwe and Zambia have both pushed back against what they describe as 'lopsided' agreements, claiming the terms unfairly benefit the US at the expense of local populations.
The deals, part of the Biden administration's renewed focus on global health security, aim to bolster pandemic preparedness and improve access to medicines across the continent. However, critics argue that they risk further entrenching economic imbalances and perpetuating a colonial-era dynamic of resource extraction.
'This is about more than just health,' said Zimbabwean political analyst Tendai Biti. 'It's about control of strategic minerals and data that can be used for both commercial and geopolitical gain.'
In Zambia, the government has suspended negotiations over a proposed $389 million 'health security' agreement, citing concerns that it would grant the US sweeping access to the country's copper, cobalt and other valuable resources. Officials in Lusaka have also objected to clauses that would allow American personnel to operate freely within Zambia and obtain sensitive personal data on citizens.
'We cannot be ceding our sovereignty in this way,' Zambian Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo told local media. 'The terms are clearly skewed to benefit the US, not our people.'
The Biden administration has defended the deals as essential for strengthening global health security, arguing that improved disease surveillance and medical supply chains will ultimately benefit African populations. However, some experts warn that the focus on data and resources risks overshadowing more fundamental challenges, such as the need for equitable access to vaccines, treatments and healthcare infrastructure.
'There's no doubt that the US has strategic interests at play here,' said Ugandan public health researcher Dr. Sarah Nakibuuka. 'But if these deals can't deliver tangible improvements in people's lives, then what's the point?'
Source: Al Jazeera
