The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has formally endorsed the positions of Zimbabwe and Zambia regarding a contentious health cooperation framework proposed by the United States government. The continental health body cited fundamental concerns about transparency, data governance, and national sovereignty as primary reasons for its supportive stance.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the African Union’s health agency, declared that the organization would support any member nation choosing to either withdraw from or renegotiate terms within the new health partnership arrangement. While acknowledging his reservations about the ‘America First Global Health Strategy’ that has superseded previous USAID frameworks, Kaseya simultaneously committed to providing full implementation support to countries that have already signed the agreement.
During weekly briefings held on Thursday, Kaseya emphasized the advisory rather than coercive nature of Africa CDC’s role: “We are not imposing on our countries. We are advising our countries… we are talking about sovereignty.”
The Director-General revealed that his concerns regarding US health financing to Africa predate current negotiations, particularly referencing his disagreement with Washington when Africa CDC was initially relegated to observer status during discussions between the US and selected African nations. “We cannot be observers when a partner is coming to talk to our countries,” Kaseya stated. “If there is disagreement, we cannot sit there and be seen as part of it.”
Central to the dispute are apprehensions surrounding control and sharing of pathogen data. Kaseya warned that Africa must protect its public health information from external interference, citing historical instances where funding cuts by international donors abruptly disrupted access to critical health data, thereby exposing the continent’s vulnerabilities when essential systems are externally managed or financed.
“We want to hold our data in Africa. We want to own our future,” Kaseya asserted.
This diplomatic tension has already manifested in concrete actions, with Zimbabwe withdrawing from talks on a $367 million health agreement and Zambia rejecting a proposed $1 billion bilateral health pact with the United States. Both nations cited concerns regarding requirements to share sensitive health data in exchange for US financial support as determining factors in their decisions.