The United States cut aid to Zambia to steal “systematic” medicine

The United States has announced that it reduces 50 million dollars (37 million pounds) to help in the health sector in Zambia, due to the country’s failure to address the “systematic theft” of donated drugs and medical supplies.

This “difficult” decision was taken after repeated warnings to the Zambian government to protect vital drugs for the most vulnerable patients in the country, said the US ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales.

“We are no longer ready to ensure the personal enrichment of the muddam or the corrupt when the patients go without or they must buy the drugs that are saved for the life we ​​have provided for free,” he added.

The Zambian government has not yet attached.

These cuts are separate from freezing the overwhelming external aid announced by President Donald Trump in January.

The Zambian health sector is greatly funded by foreign donors, but there were previous reports of widespread embezzlement and corruption that includes senior health officials.

The United States represents about a third of public health spending in Zambia, according to a statement from the American embassy in the country.

But US officials said they discovered “theft at the country level” of the medical products that were supposed to be distributed for free to the public, but were now sold by private pharmacies.

More than 2000 pharmacists were found throughout Zambia to sell donated medicines and medical supplies in a year investigation by the American embassy.

“Through these visits, 95 percent of the pharmacies that were selling the types of products provided by the United States were also selling stolen goods,” the statement said.

She said that nearly half of the pharmacies that were visited to sell medicines and supplies donated to the US government were found.

She added that other pharmacies were also found to sell stolen medical shares purchased by the Zambian government, the global fund and other donor partners in Zambia.

The American embassy said it had provided its findings and offered experts to take measures to stop the additional theft and bring the perpetrators to justice in April last year, but no action was taken.

The embassy said: “I regret this so far, that the government’s actions have been significantly less than to show an commitment to protect American assistance and the life we ​​aim to save.”

Law enforcement operations in Zambia focused on “low -level actors” and led to the arrest of “a few intermediate levels” instead of investigating supply sources and following up the mastermind behind the theft of medicines, according to the American embassy.

Gonzales said that the United States “is no longer able to justify the US tax motive in providing enormous levels of help.”

He said that the cuts will affect the drug to treat malaria, HIV and tuberculosis.

“This is not a decision that we have taken lightly,” said Gonzalez, who raises tears, explaining how this measure will affect the Zambian patients.

Aid discounts will enter January next year to give the Zambian government time to develop alternative arrangements, but he said, “The decision has been made.”

Since the Trump administration took office, it reduced billions of dollars in global health programs, and hit African countries, including Zambia, where HIV still represents a major threat, especially for teenagers and youth.

Trump announced the freezing of aid on his first day in January in line with the “first” American “American” policy.

Aid discounts affected health programs across Africa, including critical medical supplies shipments, including HIV drugs.

The majority of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided health and humanitarian assistance to weak countries, Since then it has been terminated.

In March, the President of Zambia Haknde Heshelama said that Trump “slapped both the cheeks”, saying that the time had come for his country to strengthen his treasury to buy his own medications.