Marekani inafikiria kupunguza msaada muhimu wa afya, ikiwemo huduma za dawa za VVU kwa Zambia kama sehemu ya juhudi za kupata ufikiaji mkubwa zaidi wa rasilimali za madini za nchi hiyo, kwa mujibu wa waraka wa sera ulioripotiwa na gazeti la The New York Times.
Pendekezo hilo, linalojadiliwa ndani ya Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje ya Marekani, linapendekeza kupunguza msaada huo ikiwemo ufadhili wa matibabu ya VVU ili kuishinikiza Lusaka kusaini makubaliano mapana yatakayofungua sekta ya madini kwa kampuni za Marekani.
Takribani wananchi milioni 1.3 wa Zambia wanategemea matibabu ya kila siku ya VVU yanayofadhiliwa na serikali ya Marekani kupitia mpango wa muda mrefu wa PEPFAR, pamoja na fedha za kukabiliana na kifua kikuu na malaria. Waraka huo unaonyesha kuwa kupunguzwa kwa msaada kunaweza kuanza mapema mwezi Mei iwapo mazungumzo hayatapata mafanikio.
Mazungumzo hayo ni sehemu ya mkakati mpana wa Washington kurekebisha misaada ya nje chini ya sera yake ya “America First,” ambayo inazidi kuhusisha ufadhili na maslahi ya kimkakati na kiuchumi.
Awali Zambia ilionyesha wasiwasi ikisema baadhi ya vipengele vya makubaliano hayo havilingani na maslahi ya taifa, hasa vinavyohusiana na ushirikiano wa taarifa na masuala ya uhuru wa nchi.
Wasiwasi kama huo pia umejitokeza katika nchi nyingine barani Afrika, huku Zimbabwe ikijiondoa kwenye mazungumzo kama hayo na changamoto za kisheria kuibuka nchini Kenya kuhusu masharti ya kushirikiana taarifa.
Soma pia Wachina wataziponza Zambia na Zimbabwe. Ni kosa kubwa sana kwa hizi nchi 2 kukataa msaada kutoka kwa Marekani
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The United States is considering cutting critical HIV and health support to Zambia as part of efforts to secure greater access to the country’s mineral resources, according to a policy memo seen by The New York Times.
The proposal, being discussed within the State Department, suggests scaling back assistance, including funding for HIV treatment, to pressure Lusaka into signing a broader agreement that would also open up its mining sector to American companies.
About 1.3 million Zambians rely on daily HIV treatment supported by the US government under the long-running PEPFAR programme, alongside funding for tuberculosis and malaria interventions. The memo indicates aid cuts could come as early as May if talks fail to progress.
The negotiations are part of a wider push by Washington to reshape foreign aid under its “America First” strategy, which increasingly ties funding to strategic and economic interests.
Across Africa, the US has been signing multi-year health compacts worth billions of dollars, requiring countries to increase domestic spending and meet specific conditions.
However, Zambia’s case has become one of the most contentious. Unlike other agreements focused mainly on health, the proposed deal links funding to mining sector reforms and access to key resources such as copper, cobalt and lithium, minerals critical to global clean energy supply chains.
Zambia has pushed back on parts of the agreement in recent weeks, saying some provisions do not align with its national interests, particularly clauses related to data sharing and broader sovereignty concerns.
The draft framework includes provisions for sharing health data for up to 10 years and biological samples for as long as 25 years, raising concerns among civil society groups about privacy, ownership and long-term benefits.
Source: Business Insider Africa
