The United States and Zambia signed a five-year, $2.49 billion health financing deal in Lusaka on Thursday after dropping disputed data and specimen-sharing clauses.

Under the pact, the US will contribute $1.52 billion while Zambia will invest $975 million in its health system over five years. It is part of the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy after the dismantling of USAID. The deal replaces a larger $3.6 billion framework that Zambian officials had discussed earlier in the week.

Talks had stalled over demands that Zambia share patient data and biological specimens. Health Minister Roma Chilengi said the final deal removed the specimen clause and limited data sharing to monitoring US-funded programmes.

The minister said the deal will help recruit 40,000 health workers and stressed it has no link to Zambia’s mineral resources. Copper-rich Zambia’s minerals will be negotiated separately.

Context: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have signed similar US health pacts, while Ghana and Zimbabwe rejected deals over data demands.