Uganda and the United States today signed a five-year, USD 2.2 billion bilateral health cooperation framework aimed at strengthening Uganda’s health system and preventing the spread of emerging and existing infectious diseases.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Finance, with Finance Minister Matia Kasaija representing the Government of Uganda and U.S. Ambassador William W. Popp signing on behalf of the United States.
Under the new framework, the United States plans to provide USD 1.7 billion to support priority health programs, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, polio eradication, disease surveillance, global health security, emergency preparedness, and human resources for health. The package also includes support for faith-based healthcare providers.
Uganda, in turn, has committed to increase domestic financing for the health sector by USD 500 million over the five-year period. The contribution is intended to gradually transition Uganda toward greater financial self-reliance in health services.
Finance Minister Kasaija described the partnership as both timely and transformative.
“This collaboration will yield not only disease-specific outcomes but also significant improvements in national systems, institutions, and workforce capacity. This is highly commendable,” Kasaija said.
Ambassador Popp said the agreement reflects a long-term commitment by both nations to safeguard public health and strengthen Uganda’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks.
“We are building on prior successes and making a significant shift towards promoting self-reliance in the health sector through strong community health systems, clear performance metrics, and a foundational commitment to data systems and global health security,” Popp said. “This will help prevent and stop outbreaks from threatening Uganda, the United States, and the world.”
The cooperation framework advances the existing U.S. and Uganda bilateral relationship and aligns with global efforts to enhance resilience against health threats.
