Blab Politics
Uganda Signs U.S. Health Data Deal Amid Privacy Concerns
On Dec. 10, 2025, Uganda inked a data‑sharing pact with the United States that will let Washington tap into nine national health databases in real time for seven years. In return, the U.S. will pour up to $1.7 billion into global health security over five years, targeting malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and polio.
The agreement obliges Uganda to grant U.S. officials and contractors secure logins to the country’s central health repository, laboratory records, community‑health‑worker files and electronic medical‑record system. The data shared will be aggregated and stripped of personally identifiable information; the U.S. will use it to deliver services and audit performance. Washington also pledged to notify Kampala immediately of any unauthorized access and to conduct a joint breach assessment.
Digital‑rights advocates warn that the deal opens doors to misuse. Ugandan attorney Frank Ssekamwa, founder of the African Centre for Digital Justice, said the agreement “leaves gaps that can be exploited in their favor.” He cautioned that anonymised data can be re‑identified and that the U.S. offers no guarantee of protecting the information.
The pact is part of a broader U.S. strategy that emerged after the Trump administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development. The new America First Global Health Strategy conditions aid on data access and other resources. ProPublica’s analysis of nine such deals found the terms vague and lacking standard clauses that limit data collection and use. Several African governments, including Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ghana, rejected early offers because of the data‑sharing demands.
The United States argues the data will help track disease outbreaks and improve health outcomes in partner countries. The State Department also says the agreements require recipient governments to invest more in their own health systems—a promise that some countries say will be difficult to meet. While the U.S. has pledged $270 million to the global fight against Ebola, critics contend that the new approach may erode trust and create missed opportunities for cooperation.
Funding under the new deal is smaller than what Uganda received under previous U.S. programs. A study by Vincent Lin of Partners in Health projects that by 2030 Uganda will receive 45 % less global health funding than it did when the Trump administration took office. The U.S. also plans to involve private companies in data processing, raising additional concerns about commercial use of health data.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Personal Data Protection Office and the Ugandan embassy in Washington have not yet responded to requests for comment. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the agreements share only aggregated, de‑identified data and that all data sharing is consistent with each country’s laws.
The agreement remains under scrutiny. In Kenya, a senator sued the government over a similar deal, arguing that it violated constitutional privacy rights. In Uganda, civil‑society groups have called for clearer safeguards and for the U.S. to provide a detailed breach‑response plan.
At present, Uganda has signed the deal and the U.S. has committed the funds. The next steps will involve implementing data‑access mechanisms, monitoring data use, and executing the agreed‑upon health programs. The U.S. has not yet released the full text of the agreement, and a public‑records request filed by ProPublica is pending. The situation remains unresolved until the parties complete the technical and legal arrangements and until Ugandan officials confirm the safeguards in place.
The agreement obliges Uganda to grant U.S. officials and contractors secure logins to the country’s central health repository, laboratory records, community‑health‑worker files and electronic medical‑record system. The data shared will be aggregated and stripped of personally identifiable information; the U.S. will use it to deliver services and audit performance. Washington also pledged to notify Kampala immediately of any unauthorized access and to conduct a joint breach assessment.
Digital‑rights advocates warn that the deal opens doors to misuse. Ugandan attorney Frank Ssekamwa, founder of the African Centre for Digital Justice, said the agreement “leaves gaps that can be exploited in their favor.” He cautioned that anonymised data can be re‑identified and that the U.S. offers no guarantee of protecting the information.
The pact is part of a broader U.S. strategy that emerged after the Trump administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development. The new America First Global Health Strategy conditions aid on data access and other resources. ProPublica’s analysis of nine such deals found the terms vague and lacking standard clauses that limit data collection and use. Several African governments, including Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ghana, rejected early offers because of the data‑sharing demands.
The United States argues the data will help track disease outbreaks and improve health outcomes in partner countries. The State Department also says the agreements require recipient governments to invest more in their own health systems—a promise that some countries say will be difficult to meet. While the U.S. has pledged $270 million to the global fight against Ebola, critics contend that the new approach may erode trust and create missed opportunities for cooperation.
Funding under the new deal is smaller than what Uganda received under previous U.S. programs. A study by Vincent Lin of Partners in Health projects that by 2030 Uganda will receive 45 % less global health funding than it did when the Trump administration took office. The U.S. also plans to involve private companies in data processing, raising additional concerns about commercial use of health data.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Personal Data Protection Office and the Ugandan embassy in Washington have not yet responded to requests for comment. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the agreements share only aggregated, de‑identified data and that all data sharing is consistent with each country’s laws.
The agreement remains under scrutiny. In Kenya, a senator sued the government over a similar deal, arguing that it violated constitutional privacy rights. In Uganda, civil‑society groups have called for clearer safeguards and for the U.S. to provide a detailed breach‑response plan.
At present, Uganda has signed the deal and the U.S. has committed the funds. The next steps will involve implementing data‑access mechanisms, monitoring data use, and executing the agreed‑upon health programs. The U.S. has not yet released the full text of the agreement, and a public‑records request filed by ProPublica is pending. The situation remains unresolved until the parties complete the technical and legal arrangements and until Ugandan officials confirm the safeguards in place.
