Zambia’s government has pledged to clamp down on the theft of medical supplies after the United States suspended $50 million in annual health aid, citing systemic corruption and the illegal sale of donated drugs.
The US announced on Thursday, May 8, 2025, that it was halting the funding due to widespread diversion of medicines and supplies intended for vulnerable citizens. Instead of being distributed for free, these items were being sold in pharmacies across the country, undermining the goal of the aid.
In a statement released later the same day, Health Minister Elijah Muchima admitted that theft had deeply damaged public trust and hindered access to vital treatment.
“The theft of medicines jeopardises public health, depriving patients of essential treatments,” he said, acknowledging the seriousness of the issue and confirming that the government had already taken steps to address it.
According to Muchima, several top health officials have either been suspended or dismissed as part of ongoing efforts to clean up the system.
These actions followed findings from an independent forensic audit, which led to the removal of senior figures, including the head of Zambia’s medical supply agency. “There will be no sacred cows in this process,” Muchima added, promising that no one involved would be spared from accountability.
The US embassy in Zambia said the fraud had been detected as far back as late 2021 but expressed disappointment that only a few mid-ranking staff had faced prosecution, while the key perpetrators had not been pursued.
Zambia, a country with 21 million people, remains heavily dependent on external financial support for its health services.
Washington contributes roughly a third of Zambia’s public health budget, making the aid cut particularly significant for a nation already grappling with debt and poverty.
However, the health ministry sought to reassure the public that there would be no immediate impact on medicine availability, noting that stock levels of critical treatments for malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis had recently risen to 75 per cent.
Despite its mineral wealth, particularly in copper, Zambia continues to struggle with high poverty levels. Over 64 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line — a situation many attribute to years of entrenched corruption and mismanagement by politically connected elites.
