The United States is injecting $1.3 billion into Tanzania's health sector.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

The United States and Tanzania signed a new memorandum of understanding aimed at injecting investments exceeding $1.3 billion into the Tanzanian health sector over 5 years, as part of a US strategy aimed at strengthening the ability of African countries to finance and manage their health systems, amid continued controversy over the terms of similar agreements concluded by Washington with other countries on the continent.

According to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Tanzania, the United States is committed to investing more than $1.3 billion, while the Tanzanian government has pledged an additional $1.8 billion to the health sector during the same period, as part of a partnership aimed at strengthening basic health services and combating infectious diseases.

The agreement comes as part of the “America First Global Health” initiative launched by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which seeks to reduce the dependence of low-income countries on foreign aid by supporting them to build more sustainable and self-financing health systems.

The two countries are committed to preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

The US statement emphasized that the joint investment reflects the two countries' commitment to preventing the spread of infectious diseases and enhancing Tanzania's ability to finance, manage, and sustain essential health services.

In contrast, similar agreements concluded by the United States with African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, have sparked widespread controversy due to concerns about clauses relating to access to mineral resources and the exchange of personal health data and biological materials.

Zambia had previously rejected any link between health cooperation and access to its mineral wealth, while a Kenyan court last December suspended part of a health agreement with the United States pending a ruling on a lawsuit concerning data privacy protection.

For his part, Tanzanian Health Minister Mohammed Mtshingirwa stressed that the new agreement does not include any clauses allowing for the exchange of laboratory samples with the United States.

During the signing ceremony, the minister explained that all biological samples belonging to Tanzania, including those related to epidemics and infectious diseases, will be examined, stored, and managed within Tanzanian territory, stressing that the agreement does not affect his country’s sovereignty over its biological data or resources.