The US State Department has signed four new memorandums of cooperation with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia. The agreements are part of the Trump administration's "America First" strategy, which requires partner countries to exercise financial discipline and gradually move away from donor aid. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The new US approach involves not only allocating funds but also mandatory investments from the African states themselves. Of the total amount of almost $2.3 billion, the United States is providing $1.4 billion, while the recipient countries have committed to investing over $900 million of their own resources. The State Department warned of severe consequences for failing to meet reform timelines.
Each memorandum of understanding contains clear benchmarks, strict timelines, and consequences for non-compliance, ensuring that US assistance delivers results in combating priority disease threats and reduces long-term reliance on US aid.
Expanding the network of partnerships
In addition to the aforementioned countries, Washington is actively engaging other states in the region in the strategy. A five-year memorandum with Côte d'Ivoire is scheduled to be signed on Thursday, where the US will allocate $491 million to strengthen disease detection. Previously, a similar agreement for $205 million was signed with Eswatini to combat HIV and monitor diseases. Cooperation programs are also already in place in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Lesotho.
The strategy aims to make African healthcare sectors self-sufficient. The governments of partner countries, such as Eswatini, have already confirmed their readiness to increase domestic spending on medicine over the next five years.