Uganda to receive $1.7 billion of US funding under new health deal

Uganda and the United States have signed a $2.3 billion bilateral health cooperation agreement, the two countries announced on Wednesday.

The plan is part of the Trump administration's "America First Global Health Strategy," which calls for poorer nations to eventually transition from aid to self-reliance in the fight against infectious diseases.

Under this Memorandum of Understanding, Uganda will receive up to $1.7 billion of US funding for its health sector over the next five years.

US funds will support priority health programmes in Uganda on HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria among other health issues. The US will also invest in human resources and disease surveillance.

Meanwhile, Uganda's government will increase its own health expenditure by more than $500 million over the same period "to gradually assume greater financial responsibility over the course of the framework", according to a joint statement between the two nations.

The framework aims to help Uganda develop "a resilient health system that prevents the spread of emerging and existing infectious diseases globally."

Uganda is the latest African country to agree on a pact with the Trump administration since it cut its foreign aid budget and shut down USAID.

Kenya and Rwanda have signed similar deals in recent days.