US Global Health MOUs: A Country-by-Country Tracker (2026-2030)

The U.S. Government unveiled its new America First Global Health Strategy on September 18, 2025, outlining a shift in how the United States will approach global health initiatives. A key component of this strategy involves establishing bilateral health cooperation agreements – Memorandums of Understanding, or MOUs – with nations receiving U.S. Global health assistance.

A New Framework for Global Health

These MOUs, covering the period from 2026 to 2030, are designed to foster “more resilient and durable health systems” in partner countries. The strategy emphasizes a transition from direct U.S. Financial assistance to increased country ownership of their health programs. This transition is predicated on a commitment from each partner nation to increase its own domestic health spending over the next five years, coinciding with a planned decrease in U.S. Health assistance.

Did You Know? The U.S. Began signing these agreements in late 2025, with implementation scheduled for later this year.

Tracking the Agreements

A tracker is being maintained to provide an overview of the MOUs signed to date. The data used in this tracker comes from press releases issued by the U.S. State Department, U.S. Embassies, and the Ministries of Health of partner countries, as well as from the MOU documents themselves when publicly available. The tracker will be regularly updated as new agreements are finalized and more data becomes accessible.

Expert Insight: This strategy represents a significant shift in U.S. Global health policy, moving away from a primarily donor-driven model towards one that prioritizes national ownership and sustainability. The success of this approach will depend heavily on the willingness and capacity of partner countries to increase their own health investments.

Key Areas of Focus

The agreements cover a range of programme areas, identified through keyword searches of available documentation. Global health security, specifically, is a focus, with agreements categorized as targeting this area if they mention it directly or include provisions for outbreak preparedness and response activities. However, due to the limited information available in some press releases, the tracker may not fully capture the breadth of programme areas addressed in each agreement.

What Might Happen Next

As the U.S. Continues to sign MOUs with partner countries, we could see a clearer picture emerge of the specific commitments being made by each nation. It is likely that the level of co-financing will vary significantly between countries, reflecting their economic circumstances and existing health infrastructure. Analysts expect that the focus on global health security will remain a priority, particularly in light of recent global health challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of these MOUs?

The MOUs are five-year plans outlining U.S. Engagement in each country’s health efforts with the goal of “helping countries move toward more resilient and durable health systems.”

What is expected of partner countries?

Partner countries are expected to increase their domestic health spending, or co-investment in health, over the next five years as the U.S. Decreases its health assistance.

Where can I find more information about these agreements?

Information is sourced from publicly available U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassies, and partner country Ministries of Health press release statements and MOU texts.

How might this shift in strategy impact global health outcomes in the long term?