Worlddiplomacy
Zambia signs US health deal after disputes over data-sharing
Zambia has signed a five-year health financing agreement with the United States worth approximately $1.5bn. The deal follows months of public disputes concerning patient data-sharing privacy and mineral rights. Civil society groups and activists had previously criticized leaked drafts of the agreement, fearing it compromised citizens' medical privacy and linked aid to mineral access. However, officials confirmed that controversial clauses regarding biological specimens and individual patient records were ultimately removed.