US President Donald Trump has demanded that Zambia provide preferential mineral supply to the United States by Thursday or face a massive cut in healthcare funding, affecting millions of people. Approximately 1.3 million people in the southern African country rely on US funding for HIV treatment.
The HIV virus affects the body’s immune system, making it difficult to fight infections. Nearly 10% of the adult population of Zambia is affected by the virus and has relied on international support for over two decades. The US aid supports antiretroviral treatment, which includes medications that stop the virus from replicating and allows the immune system to recover.
Many African countries rely on US assistance to support their medical bills. According to a report by Al Jazeera, African countries received around $5.4 billion in US aid in 2024, with a huge proportion being spent on humanitarian, health, and disaster relief.
The Trump administration cut funding for Zambia in January 2025 and dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID). As per a US aid funding tracker, the cuts have led to the deaths of 518,428 children and 263,915 adults from controllable diseases like HIV and tuberculosis.
Zambia is one of the world’s biggest producers of copper, and also has rich deposits of lithium and cobalt. There is a tight race between major global powers to acquire these resources due to their utility in building electric vehicles and solar panels. A Memorandum of Understanding drafted by the US State Department connects the economic priority of minerals directly to public health funding.
Trump links the aid cuts with his America First agenda, which states that foreign aid must directly serve US national interests. Critics have used this stance to point out how aids cause over-reliance on the donor countries and exploitation of the recipient state.
Zambian officials had previously given up on discussions in late 2025 due to the uncompromising conditions.
