The Trump administration has announced it will freeze all health funding to Zambia following an investigation revealing widespread theft of U.S.-donated medicines across the country.
The decision slashes $50 million, about 1.4 billion kwacha, from the $128 million the United States provides annually to support Zambia’s health sector, including critical medicines, medical supplies, and broader healthcare services.
The freeze follows a two-year U.S. investigation conducted between 2021 and 2023, which uncovered that nearly half of the 2,000 pharmacies surveyed in Zambia were selling medicines meant to be distributed free to patients.
U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales described the decision as “difficult” but necessary after repeated warnings to the Zambian government went unheeded.
“We are no longer willing to underwrite the personal enrichment of fraudsters or the corrupt, while patients go without or are forced to purchase life-saving medications that we have provided for free,” Gonzales said.
The U.S. Embassy revealed that the investigation found a shocking 95 percent of private pharmacies selling the same categories of products the United States donates were also selling stolen goods.
Of these, 45 percent were directly selling U.S.-donated medications and supplies that were supposed to be free to the public.
“Let me repeat that: in all ten provinces, nearly half of the pharmacies that were selling the kinds of products the United States provides for free for the Zambian people were selling stolen medications and medical supplies donated by the U.S. government,” the embassy statement emphasized.
The aid cut is expected to have a major impact on access to treatment for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, three of Zambia’s most pressing health challenges.
According to the U.S. Embassy, American funding currently accounts for approximately one-third of Zambia’s total public health spending, underscoring the significance of the loss.
In response, Zambia’s Health Minister Elijah Muchima acknowledged the gravity of the findings but pointed out that the problem of drug theft predates the current administration, which assumed office in 2021.
“We are grateful to the U.S. for its continued support,” Muchima said, adding that the government has introduced “an advanced digital stock tracking system” to monitor medicine distribution more effectively.
He also assured the public that essential drug supplies remain adequate, saying there is “no immediate risk of shortages.”
The U.S. has given Zambia until January next year to implement alternative procurement and oversight mechanisms before the aid reduction takes full effect, leaving a narrow window for the government to demonstrate reforms and avoid a long-term funding freeze.
