State Department Strengthens Health Resilience With Burundi Partnership

The country of Burundi and the United States have agreed to a historic bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), pledging more than $129 million in U.S. aid to fortify health systems and combat major infectious diseases. The deal, signed on Feb.6, helps promote the “America First Global Health Strategy,” which emphasizes mutual benefits, self-reliance, and the protection of American interests by containing global health crises at their source.

The MOU emphasizes increasing efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and Malaria “while bolstering disease surveillance and outbreak response.” With assistance from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. State Department plans to provide more than $129 million over five years. In return, the Burundian government will raise its domestic health expenditures by $26 million during the same period, boosting the country’s self-reliance in managing its healthcare system.

“Building on the United States’ decades of fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria in Burundi, this MOU safeguards Americans by strengthening Burundi’s capacity to detect and contain infectious disease outbreaks before they spread internationally,” the Department of State said in a press statement.

The agreement seeks to sustain treatment for 97% of the population living with HIV while also aiming to reduce malaria mortality rates by half among children under the age of five.

“Overall, the MOU strengthens Burundi’s management of infectious diseases through an enhanced integrated service delivery model designed to improve cost efficiency, quality, and retention in health care, saving lives and helping Burundi become more self-reliant in responding to infectious disease outbreaks before they reach American shores,” the release states.

The agreement designates Burundi as an essential partner in the strategy, making it the 16^th bilateral global health MOU for the State Department.

The MOUs that have been signed “represent more than $18.3 billion in new health funding, including more than $11.18 billion in U.S. assistance alongside $7.12 billion in co-investment from recipient countries, building on decades of progress fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases around the world.”