The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has raised serious concerns over provisions contained in new United States global health funding agreements with African countries, warning that issues surrounding data ownership and pathogen sharing could undermine equity and national sovereignty.
Director-General Jean Kaseya said Thursday that several African governments were increasingly uneasy about conditions tied to Washington’s evolving approach to global health financing.
“There are huge concerns regarding data, regarding pathogen sharing,” Kaseya said during a virtual press briefing, referring to clauses that require participating countries to rapidly share information on disease outbreaks and potentially dangerous pathogens.
The agreements form part of a broader restructuring of U.S. global health assistance under the administration of Donald Trump, which has shifted away from traditional multilateral aid delivery toward bilateral arrangements negotiated directly with individual countries.
Under the proposed deals, African nations receiving U.S. funding would be required to share epidemiological data and biological samples linked to pathogens that could trigger epidemics. However, critics say the agreements do not clearly guarantee that vaccines, treatments or medical technologies developed from such shared data would be made accessible to the countries where outbreaks originate.
Global health advocates argue that this imbalance raises ethical concerns, particularly following lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, when many low- and middle-income countries struggled to access vaccines despite contributing research data and samples.
Tensions surrounding the agreements intensified this week after Zimbabwe withdrew from negotiations over a proposed US$367 million health funding deal, citing concerns that the terms were unequal and risked exposing sensitive national data. Zambia has also reportedly pushed back against aspects of its own negotiations with Washington.
Kaseya said the Africa CDC respects the sovereignty of member states in deciding whether to sign or renegotiate agreements but emphasised that the continental health body stands ready to provide technical support where requested.
“I said to all of my countries, you have full support from Africa CDC. Even if you want to renegotiate … if you want Africa CDC to be there, we’ll be there,” he said.
The new funding framework follows sweeping changes to U.S. foreign aid delivery after the dismantling of key aid structures and reductions in global health funding programmes. The revised strategy aims to channel resources more directly to partner countries while encouraging co-investment from recipient governments.
Kaseya noted that the concept initially generated optimism within Africa because it promised more direct financing and greater domestic ownership of health programmes. However, concerns have since emerged over governance, transparency and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Public health experts warn that pathogen-sharing agreements must strike a balance between global disease surveillance and fair access to resulting medical innovations. Rapid data exchange is widely regarded as essential for preventing pandemics, but African policymakers have increasingly called for legally binding guarantees ensuring technology transfer and equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments.
The debate highlights broader questions about power dynamics in global health partnerships, particularly as African institutions seek stronger negotiating positions and greater control over health data generated within the continent.
Africa CDC officials say they will continue advising governments engaged in discussions with the United States while supporting implementation of agreements already concluded.
The outcome of these negotiations could shape future global health cooperation models, determining how outbreak data, scientific research and life-saving medical innovations are shared between developed nations and emerging economies.
