Rwanda becomes second African partner in $228M U.S. health deal #rwanda #RwOT

The deal was formalised on Friday, December 5, in Washington by Jeremy Lewin, Senior Official, Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom, and Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) outlines a comprehensive plan to strengthen Rwanda's health system, save lives, and enhance U.S. national interests through global health engagement. It builds on Rwanda's significant progress in addressing HIV/AIDS, where the country has reached the 95-95-95 epidemic control goals.

"This partnership builds on Rwanda's progress by moving away from parallel NGO delivery systems, investing in cutting-edge health infrastructure, fostering greater national ownership over health delivery systems and frontline workers, and putting Rwanda on an accelerated path to a more durable, responsive, and sustainable health system, including Rwanda taking over full control of its HIV/AIDS response by year four of the partnership," the U.S. Department of State said in its statement.

Under the partnership, the United States will provide up to $158 million over five years to support Rwanda's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, while also strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response capabilities. Rwanda, in turn, will contribute an additional $70 million from its own domestic health budget, gradually assuming greater financial responsibility as U.S. support declines.

The agreement emphasises national ownership of healthcare delivery, moving away from parallel NGO systems, and investing in cutting-edge health infrastructure. By year four of the partnership, Rwanda is expected to take full control of its HIV/AIDS response, reinforcing a sustainable and self-reliant health system.

The MoU also fosters U.S. commercial interests in Rwanda and the broader region. The deal builds on the U.S. Department of State's November 2025 award to Zipline International Inc., supporting the construction of American-made advanced robotics for delivering life-saving medical products. Rwanda, as an early adopter of Zipline technology in Africa, will manage and maintain this infrastructure. Additionally, the agreement includes $10 million for U.S. biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks to expand disease outbreak surveillance in Rwanda, establishing a regional biothreat radar system.

Other areas of collaboration include next-generation HIV treatments and the deployment of artificial intelligence in healthcare, further reinforcing Rwanda's health system and promoting sustainable development.

This agreement follows Kenya's recent signing under the America First Global Health Strategy, which was launched in September 2025. The strategy aims to enhance the self-reliance of recipient countries in managing their health sectors and replaces certain funding previously provided by USAID.

The U.S. government plans to continue signing multi-year bilateral health agreements with additional countries in the coming weeks, advancing the objectives of the America First Global Health Strategy.