AIPAC Demands Transparency On Proposed USA Zambia Health MOU

The Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre (AIPAC) expresses its deep concern regarding the Ministry of Health’s renewed intentions to sign a billion-dollar Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States government. This announcement comes only months after the Zambian government itself rejected the same MoU, citing irregular and troubling conditions that were attached to it. Among the conditions previously highlighted were exclusive mining rights and access to patient databases. These provisions raised fundamental questions about Zambia’s sovereignty, the protection of citizens’ privacy, and the safeguarding of national interests. 

In a statement, AIPAC Executive Director Solomon Ngoma said it is therefore troubling that the new Health Minister has now indicated a willingness to revisit and potentially sign this MoU without informing the Zambian people of the revised terms or making the contents of the agreement public.

Mr. Ngoma said the lack of transparency in this matter undermines public trust and leaves citizens uncertain about the commitments being made in their name.

He added that agreements of such magnitude, particularly those involving critical sectors such as health, must be subjected to open scrutiny and public debate. The people of Zambia deserve to know whether the conditions that were previously deemed unacceptable have been removed, altered, or replaced, and whether the new terms protect or compromise the nation’s sovereignty and welfare. 

Mr. Ngoma noted that with the coming into effect of the Access to Information Act, AIPAC insists that the Ministry of Health has a legal and moral obligation to make the full contents of this MoU available to stakeholders, if not to the nation at large.

He emphasized that transparency is not optional; it is a constitutional and democratic requirement. The Zambian people must be given the opportunity to examine the commitments being undertaken, to understand the implications for the country’s health sector, and to assess whether these commitments align with the broader national interest. Anything less would represent a failure of governance and a disregard for the principles of accountability and public participation.