African nations resist US health aid over data, strategic concerns
via The Namibian11 min read
The Trump administration is offering hundreds of millions of dollars in health aid to African countries, but some governments are resisting these new deals due to attached conditions. Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia are among the nations that have declined the offers. Ghana rejected a proposed $109 million health deal in April over data protection concerns, specifically regarding the scope of data required and the lack of reciprocal measures for Ghanaian data sovereignty. Zimbabwe also cited concerns about requests for medical data, particularly its potential sharing with US pharmaceutical companies without guarantees of drug or vaccine availability for its people. Zambia's Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe criticized an American effort to link health funding to US economic interests, specifically access to critical minerals, which Zambia wanted to negotiate separately. The new US global health strategy, which follows the closure of USAID, requires recipient governments to increase their own health spending and aims to build self-reliant systems. While the US contributes significantly, recipient nations are also expected to pledge funds, as seen in Kenya's $2.5 billion deal where the US contributes $1.6 billion and Kenya pledges $850 million over five years. This approach shifts from traditional donor-NGO relationships to direct agreements with individual governments, tied to US strategic and commercial interests. The US withdrew from the World Health Organization earlier this year
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
The Namibian Presidency has stated that the more than 200-member business delegation accompanying President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to China was not funded by taxpayers. This clarification follows public criticism regarding the delegation's size. According to a statement from State House, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board coordinated the business delegation through an open expression of interest, allowing companies to apply for participation. The businesses are in China to explore commercial opportunities, establish partnerships, identify suppliers, attract investment, and secure export markets. The Presidency emphasized that participating businesses made their own travel and participation arrangements. The large turnout is seen as a reflection of the private sector's confidence in opportunities within China, the world's second-largest economy. The Presidency also noted that it is common international practice for business leaders to accompany heads of state on official visits to promote trade and investment, strengthen bilateral economic relations, and support industrialization, job creation, and market access.
Zambezi governor Dorothy Kabula-Simushi announced a significant increase in cargo at the Katima Mulilo and Ngoma borders, with import values reaching N$71 billion and export values at N$20 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year. This surge in trade, she noted, underscores the need to expedite the One Stop Border Post initiative, with progress made on the Katima Mulilo project through a bilateral agreement between Namibia and Zambia. The governor also reported that 30,683 heavy goods vehicles were weighed at the Katima Mulilo weighbridge, with 8,806 found to be overloaded. Of these, 126 trucks overloaded above the 5% requirement resulted in N$406,000 in duties paid, and 424 summonses for general traffic offenses totaled N$667,150. Kabula-Simushi highlighted challenges at the weighbridge, including limited operating hours 08h00 to 17h00 compared to the 24/7 border, and a shortage of staff, with only four members instead of the required twelve for 24-hour operation. Plans are underway to upgrade the Katima Mulilo weighbridge to a multi-deck system and introduce 24-hour operations at both Walvis Bay and Katima Mulilo weighbridges in the 2026/2027 financial year. Additionally, the region's 15 conservancies generated N$33 million from conservation hunting and tourism, with over N$3.7 million reinvested into community development. However, human-wildlife conflict incidents increased to 563, up from 411 the previous year.
Must ReadUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to urge NATO allies at a meeting in Turkey to provide air defense systems, following escalating Russian attacks, including recent missile strikes on Kyiv that killed over 50 civilians. Zelensky will also meet with Donald Trump to argue that Russia's attacks demonstrate weakness and to advocate for "dignified" peace talks. The call for more air defenses comes as Ukraine has intensified its own long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and military targets, causing fuel shortages and power cuts. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that anti-air defenses intercepted most of the 430 unmanned aerial drones fired by Ukraine towards the capital overnight. Zelensky expressed frustration over the lack of US-made Patriot air defense missiles, stating that production has not scaled up to meet the need for protection against ballistic terror. He will also discuss Ukraine producing its own equivalent systems with NATO assistance. Ukraine's deep strikes are reportedly impacting the Kremlin, with high-profile targets hit in St Petersburg, Moscow, and Omsk, and military logistics, oil refineries, and power plants in Crimea also being targeted, leading to power cuts and shortages. Zelensky aims to convince NATO and Trump that Ukraine has gained an advantage and that sustained pressure can lead to proper peace negotiations, emphasizing the urgent need for interceptor missiles to protect Ukrainian cities and civilians before winter.