Liberia has secured a five-year health cooperation agreement with the United States valued at approximately $176 million, making it one of 14 African countries to sign bilateral health pacts with Washington under the new “America First Global Health Strategy.”
These agreements collectively total more than $16 billion in funding and co-investment, according to Bloomberg reports.
The U.S. government’s initiative marks a shift away from traditional multilateral aid through agencies like USAID and the World Health Organization toward direct government-to-government partnerships intended to strengthen national health systems while promoting shared financial responsibility.
Under the Liberia-U.S. health pact, the United States will provide up to $125 million, with the Government of Liberia committing an additional $51 million toward priority health areas over the next five years.
According to the deal, the core focus of the agreement will be on:
HIV/AIDS and malaria programmes, including expanded testing, treatment, and prevention efforts;
Maternal and child health services, aimed at reducing mortality and improving care for mothers and infants;
Global health security and disease surveillance, to better detect and respond to epidemics and outbreaks.
The deal, amongst other things noted that these areas are longstanding priorities for Liberia, which still works to strengthen its medical infrastructure and expand access to essential services following years of external health challenges, including the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak and more recent public health pressures.
A release from Libeeria’s Foreign Ministry indicated that the partnership is designed not only to bring new resources into the Liberian health sector but also to build national capacity and advance self-reliance over time:
By co-financing programmes, Liberia is expected to increase ownership of health planning and budgeting, a key step toward sustainable improvements.
Strengthened disease surveillance and response mechanisms could better equip Liberia to contain future outbreaks before they spread widely.
Expanded maternal and child health funding may help reduce rates of maternal mortality and improve early childhood survival.
Liberia’s deal sits alongside larger agreements for other African countries, including Nigeria ($5.1 billion), Kenya ($2.5 billion), Uganda ($2.3 billion), and Mozambique ($1.8 billion)—all tied to combating infectious diseases and strengthening health systems.
While these agreements have been welcomed by some health officials for promoting collaboration and shared responsibility, they have also drawn scrutiny from critics who point to changes in U.S. aid patterns and reductions in traditional health funding structures.
arabtimes
For Liberia, the agreement represents a significant investment in public health infrastructure at a time when the country seeks to maintain progress against HIV, malaria, and other pressing health challenges.
As implementation plans are finalized in early 2026, the focus will turn to translating commitments into real-world gains for Liberians across all counties.
