• The U.S. signs a $2.5 billion health deal with Kenya over five years.
• The agreement prioritizes combating diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
• This marks Kenya as the first African country under the "America First" global health strategy.
• Kenya pledges to invest $850 million into its health sector as part of the deal.
• The partnership shifts funding from NGOs to direct support through the Kenyan government.

The United States and Kenya have signed a groundbreaking health cooperation agreement worth $2.5 billion, expected to enhance their healthcare system over the next five years. The agreement focuses on combating major infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized this partnership as a move towards self-sustainability in global health efforts, stating, "True assistance is self-sustainability, building the ability to sustain yourself in the long term." This agreement marks Kenya as the inaugural participant in the administration's "America First" strategy concerning global health, as stated in several sources, including latimes, aa, africanews, and africanews.

The agreement will transition U.S. funding from various non-governmental organizations directly to Kenyan government health systems. President William Ruto noted that this change is a decisive step towards increasing accountability and efficiency, contributing to Kenya's pursuit of universal health coverage. "This framework adds momentum to my administration's universal health coverage," he said, emphasizing the importance of equipping hospitals and timely medical supply deliveries. This perspective is echoed in sources including latimes, aa, and africanews.

In addition to U.S. funding, Kenya has committed to increasing its own health expenditure by $850 million over the same period to enhance their health infrastructure. This commitment reflects both countries' dedication to sustainable health solutions; however, the dismantling of USAID has raised concerns regarding defunding critical health programs and support networks globally. The impacts of this change have been widely discussed within the health community, affirming the crucial nature of this agreement. This concern has been highlighted by multiple articles including latimes, aa, africanews, and africanews.