The United States, through President Trump’s America First Global Health Strategy, is conditioning critical public health funding for African nations on their provision of minerals and extensive health data. This transactional approach, criticized by experts like Nelson Evaborhene, is perceived as a coercive extraction strategy, drawing parallels to historical colonial practices.
The strategy involves progressively decreasing US health aid, which was previously disrupted by Trump's 2025 foreign aid pause, impacting HIV/AIDS medication distribution and Ebola response in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Deals with nations such as Zambia and Eswatini have explicitly or implicitly linked health compacts to mineral access and other concessions, despite US denials. Concerns also arise from demands for up to 25 years of sensitive health data for only five years of funding, leading countries like Zimbabwe and Ghana to reject agreements, and Kenya to suspend its deal. Critics warn this risks geopolitical ruptures and prioritizes US commercial interests, potentially hindering African self-reliance in healthcare.
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