U.S. cuts $50 million in aid to Zambia over medication theft

• The United States has suspended $50 million in aid to Zambia.
• The reason is systematic theft of U.S.-funded medications.
• The Zambian government has not taken steps to resolve the problem.

The United States has decided to suspend its annual financial aid to Zambia, which amounted to $50 million. This decision is a result of the systematic theft of medications and medical supplies, intended to be provided free of charge to the people of Zambia. The U.S. Ambassador in Lusaka, Michael Gonzales, announced this at a press conference.

For over a year, the United States has been urging the Zambian government to take concrete actions in response to the theft of medications. Despite numerous appeals, the government did not respond to these demands. An investigation conducted by the Americans revealed that between 2021 and 2023, over 2,000 Zambian pharmacies sold medications paid for with U.S. aid funds.

The investigation found that as much as 95 percent of the inspected pharmacies sold stolen products. Ambassador Gonzales emphasized that about one in three kwacha spent on public health in Zambia comes from the United States. The U.S. has been providing about $172 million annually for the purchase of medications for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.

"We are no longer willing to underwrite the personal enrichment of fraudsters or the corrupt when patients go without or have to buy life-saving medications that we have provided for free," said Ambassador Gonzales. Similar problems with medication theft also occurred in Liberia, where 90 percent of pharmacies sold medications supplied under free aid by USAID.

The aid cuts to Zambia are independent of the freeze on global health programs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in January. The situation in Zambia highlights the importance of monitoring and controlling aid funds to ensure they reach those in need.