KAMPALA, Uganda — In a significant move to strengthen public health infrastructure, the governments of Uganda and the United States announced on Wednesday the signing of a massive bilateral health cooperation agreement valued at $2.3 billion.
The partnership is anchored in the Trump administration’s “America First Global Health Strategy,” a policy designed to encourage developing nations to shift away from perpetual foreign aid and move toward self-sufficiency in managing infectious diseases.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines a five-year funding plan where both nations contribute to the sustainability of Uganda’s health sector.
- US contribution: The United States has committed up to $1.7 billion. These funds are designated for critical programs combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Additionally, the investment will target improvements in human resources and disease surveillance capabilities.
- Uganda’s commitment: In a push for domestic ownership, the Ugandan government will raise its own health spending by over $500 million during the same five-year window. A joint statement released by the two nations clarified that this increase is intended “to gradually assume greater financial responsibility over the course of the framework”.
Building long-term resilience
Beyond immediate disease control, the agreement focuses on systemic stability. The core objective is to assist Uganda in constructing “a resilient health system that prevents the spread of emerging and existing infectious diseases globally.”
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This agreement marks Uganda as the latest African nation to align with the new US strategic direction following recent reductions in the American foreign aid budget and changes to USAID operations.
Similar agreements have recently been finalized with neighboring Kenya and Rwanda, signaling a broader regional shift in how US health assistance is structured.
