US–Tanzania sign five-year health partnership worth Sh401 billion

The United States and Tanzania have signed a five-year health partnership worth approximately Sh401 billion, setting out a new framework aimed at strengthening the country's ability to prevent and respond to infectious diseases while building a healthcare system that can be sustained through greater domestic investment and national ownership.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed on July 1, 2026, is part of the Trump Administration's America First Global Health Strategy and marks a move away from the traditional donor-recipient approach toward a co-investment model in which both countries commit resources to shared health goals.

Under the agreement, the United States intends to provide more than Sh168 billion (US$1.3 billion) over the next five years, while Tanzania plans to raise its domestic health spending by about Sh233 billion (US$1.8 billion). Together, the commitments amount to an estimated Sh401 billion investment in Tanzania's health sector.

The two governments said the partnership builds on decades of cooperation in health while introducing a structure designed to promote long-term sustainability and strengthen Tanzania's ability to independently manage key healthcare programmes.

"Building on decades of gains made through U.S. global health assistance to Tanzania, the United States and Tanzania will act as co-investors under this MOU, jointly building a durable network of hospitals, laboratories, and health care workers able to care for Tanzanians now and independently address public health threats of the future."

According to the agreement, U.S. support will be aligned with Tanzania's health priorities while helping the country benefit from American expertise in pharmaceuticals, healthcare innovation and technology.

"The United States will direct assistance to support Tanzania's health priorities and help Tanzania tap into American expertise in pharmaceuticals, health innovation, and technology. Joint activities under this MOU aim to facilitate a sustainable transition from the previous donor-recipient model to a new partnership that will help Tanzania finance, manage, and sustain its health system over the long run, strengthening Tanzania's ability to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks."

The partnership is also expected to support continued efforts to control major infectious diseases while improving access to essential health services for a growing population.

"The five-year MOU also intends to sustain national control of HIV, malaria, polio, and tuberculosis, and meet the needs of Tanzania's growing population through supporting maternal and child health."

The United States said the agreement reflects a broader change in the way it approaches international health cooperation, with greater emphasis on helping countries finance and manage their own health systems.

"This Sh401 billion memorandum of understanding reflects the vision of the America First Global Health Strategy, which recognises that the strongest and most sustainable partnerships are those that help countries build the capacity to lead, finance, and sustain their own health systems. It reflects a shift from traditional donor-recipient relationships toward true partnership; from aid to trade; from dependence to self-reliance; and from short-term support to long-term sustainability."

The Tanzania agreement is one of 34 bilateral health memoranda signed under the America First Global Health Strategy.

Collectively, the agreements represent more than Sh3.1 trillion in global health funding, including about Sh1.85 trillion (US$14.3 billion) in U.S. assistance and roughly Sh1.24 trillion (US$9.6 billion) in contributions from partner countries.

According to the United States, the wider initiative is intended to strengthen global efforts against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases while helping participating countries build stronger and more sustainable healthcare systems capable of meeting future public health challenges.