Uganda, U.S. seal USD 2.2 billion deal to boost health systems in landmark pact

Kampala, Uganda | Uganda and the United States have signed a landmark USD 2.2 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will massively boost the country’s health sector over the next five years, marking one of the largest bilateral health investments in Uganda’s history.

The agreement, signed Tuesday at the Ministry of Finance, lays out an ambitious plan to strengthen Uganda’s capacity to save lives, fight infectious diseases, and build a more resilient national health system.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija signed on behalf of Uganda, while U.S. Ambassador William W. Popp represented Washington.

Under the new framework, the United States will contribute USD 1.7 billion toward priority health programmes, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, polio eradication, global health security, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness.

Uganda, in turn, has pledged to increase its domestic health spending by USD 500 million over the five-year period.

The collaboration includes substantial support for faith-based health facilities, which play a critical role in delivering frontline medical services across the country.

Finance Minister Kasaija hailed the agreement as a major milestone for Uganda’s health sector.

“This collaboration will yield not only disease-specific outcomes but also significant improvements in national systems, institutions, and workforce capacity. This is highly commendable,” he said.

Ambassador Popp emphasized that the pact reflects a long-term mutual commitment to global health.

“We are building on prior successes and making a significant shift towards promoting self-reliance in the health sector,” he said.

He added that the agreement prioritizes strong community health systems, clear performance metrics, and robust data systems that will help prevent and contain outbreaks with global implications.

The MOU is expected to reinforce Uganda’s readiness to combat both existing and emerging health threats while gradually shifting more financial responsibility to the government as part of a broader sustainability agenda.

With the new partnership, both countries signal a shared determination to protect public health not only in Uganda and the United States, but around the world.