DR Congo and US Commit to $1.2 Billion Global Health Partnership

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a combined commitment of $1.2 billion to protect Congolese citizens and Americans from infectious disease threats.

In a statement issued by U.S. Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the new bilateral health cooperation is expected to bolster disease surveillance and strengthen outbreak response systems.

Under the MoU, the U.S. government will provide up to $900 million over the next five years to accelerate the introduction and scale-up of health innovations supporting the DRC’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child mortality, and other infectious diseases.

For its part, the Congolese government will increase domestic health expenditures by $300 million over the five-year period, reinforcing greater self-reliance within its health system.

The agreement includes global health security funding to establish a national integrated surveillance and outbreak response system, including a high-quality laboratory network capable of detecting and investigating infectious disease outbreaks within seven days.

Priority areas include strengthening frontline health workers through integrated training and sustainable remuneration, modernizing data and disease surveillance systems, enhancing electronic medical records, and developing interoperable health platforms.

Under this framework, relevant authorities – including the United States and other partners – will coordinate epidemic preparedness and rapid response measures to contain outbreaks and prevent their spread to neighboring areas.