Monday May 19, 2025
Lusaka, Zambia
The United States has cut $50 million a year in medical aid to Zambia, the US ambassador in Lusaka announced on Thursday May 08, citing fraud.
The medicines supplied by the United States are being resold in pharmacies throughout this southern African country, with no reaction from the authorities to curb the phenomenon, accused US diplomat Michael Gonzales in a statement.
“The United States can no longer justify to American taxpayers the continuation of such a high level of aid, even though the Zambian government refuses to take the necessary steps to guarantee this aid,” he said.
This decision, which is to apply from January 2026, is independent of the broad international aid cuts decided by Donald Trump’s administration, the US ambassador assured.
The Zambian government has “taken note of the concerns expressed by the ambassador” and “wishes to reaffirm its commitment to resolving this regrettable issue”, he assured in a statement, underlining that “a number of officials” have been “suspended and/or removed from their positions”.
Washington’s “generous support” has “considerably strengthened Zambia’s health services, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria”, says Lusaka, which, crippled by debt, relies heavily on foreign aid to provide health services to its 21 million inhabitants.
Around a third of Zambia’s public health spending is funded by the United States, with the money going to buy drugs for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, according to Washington.
The US says it discovered the fraud in 2021 and inspected more than 2,000 pharmacies, where it also found drugs stolen from the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other donors.
Zambia is rich in copper, but over 64% of the population lives below the poverty line. President Hakainde Hichilema, elected in 2021 in a model political transition, had campaigned on eradicating corruption and attracting new investors.
The beginning of his mandate was marked by high-profile arrests, including spectacular seizures of hotels and helicopters belonging to a former minister. The pace of these operations has since slowed.
Humaniterre with AFP
