The United States (US) and Rwanda have signed a deal for the provision of $228 million for the health sector in the East African nation, the State Department said, the second such pact under the Trump administration’s new approach to overseas aid.<\/p>\n
Kenya became the first country this week to strike a deal with Washington under “America First Global Health Strategy”, which was unveiled in September by the administration and seeks to improve target countries’ self-reliance in managing their health sectors.<\/p>\n
The $228 million will be provided by both governments.<\/p>\n
The Rwanda deal lays out “a comprehensive vision to save lives, strengthen Rwanda’s health system,” the State Department said late on Friday, while helping to make America “safer”.<\/p>\n
The health funding agreement comes a day after Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and his Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) counterpart Felix Tshisekedi affirmed their commitment to a US-brokered deal to end conflict in eastern Congo.<\/p>\n
Under the health deal, the US will provide up to $158 million to Rwanda to fight HIV\/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, the State Department said. The cash will also strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response.<\/p>\n
“In turn, the government of Rwanda plans to increase its own domestic health investment by $70 million, taking on greater financial responsibility as US support is gradually reduced over the years,” the department said.<\/p>\n
The agreement will also build on an initiative that sees drone-delivery startup Zipline taking life-saving medical products where they are needed, in co-operation with Rwanda, the Department said.<\/p>\n
“The agreement underscores Rwanda’s ambition to build a self-reliant, adaptive, and technology-enabled health system,” said Oliver Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, after he signed the deal with US officials in Washington.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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