By: ThinkBusiness Africa
The United States and Rwanda have formalized a five-year, $228 million health cooperation agreement, marking the second major partnership under the Trump Administration’s newly unveiled America First Global Health Strategy. The deal signifies a strategic pivot in U.S. foreign aid, emphasizing national ownership, shared financing, and long-term self-reliance for partner countries.
The agreement, signed in Washington, D.C, is a joint commitment that outlines a roadmap for strengthening Rwanda’s public health system, combating infectious diseases, and enhancing global health security.
According to the U.S state department, the total package is structured as a co-investment, placing a significant portion of responsibility on the Rwandan government. The U.S. intends to provide up to $158 million over the five-year period, pending Congressional approval.
These funds will primarily target the fight against major infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other emerging threats, alongside strengthening national disease surveillance and outbreak response capabilities.
In a key feature of the new aid model, the Government of Rwanda plans to increase its own domestic health investment by $70 million. This commitment is viewed by the U.S. State Department as evidence of Kigali’s dedication to assuming greater financial responsibility as U.S. support is gradually scaled down.
A key objective is for Rwanda to achieve full ownership of its national HIV/AIDS response by the fourth year of the program.
The Bilateral Health Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is explicitly designed to move away from traditional, parallel NGO-led delivery systems and instead build resilient, durable government infrastructure.
The deal includes strategic investments in American innovation. Specifically, $10 million is allocated to U.S.-based Ginkgo Bioworks to expand disease surveillance in Rwanda, establishing a regional “biothreat radar” to monitor and respond to potential outbreaks before they reach U.S. shores.
“The agreement underscores Rwanda’s ambition to build a self-reliant, adaptive, and technology-enabled health system,” said Oliver Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s foreign minister.
The Rwandan deal follows a similar, larger agreement recently struck with Kenya, signaling Washington’s commitment to the America First Global Health Strategy. This strategy operates on three pillars: making America Safer (by preventing outbreaks globally), Stronger (through strategic bilateral partnerships), and More Prosperous (by leveraging American private sector innovation).
