Why Zimbabwe Opted Out of the US$367 Million Health Deal
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Honourable Zhemu Soda, has clarified why Zimbabwe discontinued negotiations on a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the “America First Global Health Strategy.”
Why the Government Declined the Proposal:
📊 Data Sovereignty Concerns:
The agreement required Zimbabwe to share sensitive health and virus data of its citizens without firm guarantees that the country would benefit from any vaccines, treatments, or medical innovations developed from that data.
🚫 No Reciprocal Data Sharing:
The United States did not commit to sharing its own epidemiological data in exchange, raising concerns over imbalance in the arrangement
⚖️ Equity and National Interest:
Authorities viewed the proposal as an unequal arrangement with implications for national security and control over strategic health resources.
While Zimbabwe remains open to international cooperation, the Government maintains that all partnerships must be grounded in fairness, transparency, mutual respect, and shared benefit.