U.S. and Botswana Sign Landmark $487 Million Health Partnership

Good morning, let’s get into it!

The United States and Botswana have entered into a new three-year, $487 million bilateral health cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening Botswana’s healthcare systems and advancing shared public health goals.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on December 23, 2025, by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Christopher Gunning and Botswana’s Minister of Health, Stephen Modise. Under the terms of the agreement, the United States will provide $106 million in funding, while the Government of Botswana has committed to increasing its own domestic health spending by $381 million.

This "co-investment" model is a key pillar of the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS), which emphasizes direct bilateral cooperation to reduce overhead and ensure funds flow directly to service delivery.

Key components of the partnership include:

• Health System Strengthening: The deal focuses on workforce reform, increasing self-reliance, and sustaining the significant progress made in combating HIV/AIDS over the last two decades.

• Data Modernization: Alongside the MOU, the nations signed a five-year Data Sharing Agreement to modernize Botswana's digital health tools, improving disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness.

This agreement builds on a long-standing partnership; the U.S. has provided over $1.3 billion in health assistance to Botswana since 2004.

Source: US Embassy Botswana