The United States has signed five-year bilateral health cooperation agreements with the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Niger, reinforcing its global health leadership under the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy.
Thomas Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, emphasized that the agreements are designed to enhance disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health system capacity while promoting national ownership in partner countries.
Under the Dominican Republic MOU, the U.S. plans to provide up to $46.7 million to combat HIV/AIDS and other health threats. The Dominican government has committed an additional $14.1 million. The agreement includes more than $6 million in funding for a 7-1-7 infectious disease surveillance system, which aims to detect outbreaks within seven days, notify the U.S. within one day, and initiate a response within seven days. By 2028, the country will assume responsibility for health commodities, frontline healthcare workers, and laboratory systems, with U.S. support focused on surveillance and health innovations.
In Niger, the U.S. will contribute $107.4 million to fight malaria, improve maternal and child health, and strengthen disease monitoring. The government of Niger will provide $71.9 million in co-investment. The agreement also funds the creation of a digital health ecosystem, integrating six health information systems covering medical records, laboratory management, pharmacy management, surveillance, commodity tracking, and a national data warehouse.
Pigott noted the strategy “delivers greater value for American taxpayers while maintaining critical health security partnerships.”
