Rwanda has secured a landmark $228 million health-sector agreement with the United States, marking the second major partnership sealed under President Donald Trump’s newly introduced America First Global Health Strategy.
The State Department announced the deal late on Friday, just hours after a significant reaffirmation of peace commitments between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Washington.
According to Reuters, the agreement is designed to strengthen Rwanda’s health system while promoting long-term financial self-reliance.
U.S.-Brokered Peace Sets Tone for Renewed Cooperation
The funding announcement followed a diplomatic meeting hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, who brought together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi to recommit to both a U.S.-brokered June peace deal and last month’s economic integration compact.
“We’re settling a war that’s been going on for decades,” Trump said. “They spent a lot of time killing each other, and now they’re going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands, and taking advantage of the United States of America economically like every other country does.”
The new health agreement allocates $158 million in U.S. funds to help Rwanda combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, while also strengthening outbreak preparedness and surveillance systems.
The Trump administration’s new aid model prioritises building resilient, independent health structures in partner countries, a shift from older approaches that relied heavily on continuous external support.
In line with this strategy, the Rwandan government will raise its domestic health investment by $70 million, a move the State Department described as evidence of Kigali’s commitment to taking on “greater financial responsibility as U.S. support is gradually reduced over the years.”
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Oliver Nduhungirehe, welcomed the agreement, saying it “underscores Rwanda’s ambition to build a self-reliant, adaptive, and technology-enabled health system.”
He pointed to the country’s growing collaboration with medical drone-delivery company Zipline as an example of Rwanda’s innovation-driven health approach.
For Washington, the deal demonstrates a blend of geopolitical stabilization and development cooperation. For Kigali, it is both a strategic investment in public health and the first tangible benefit emerging from renewed U.S. engagement following the peace efforts in the Great Lakes region.
Source: africa.businessinsider.com
