Health Aid Agreement: United States Frustrated by Zambia's Refusal

The United States criticized Zambia for refusing to engage in a new health aid agreement worth over one billion dollars. Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Michael Gonzales stated that this situation has led to sporadic funding without a coherent implementation plan for essential programs such as those addressing HIV and malaria. The April 30 deadline to finalize the memorandum of understanding has passed without any agreement being reached.