The United States has formalised a five-year, $5.1 billion bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Republic of Nigeria to advance the America First Global Health Strategy. Under the agreement, the US intends to provide $2.1 billion in support, while Nigeria will invest $3 billion in new domestic health spending. A significant feature of this MOU is the allocation of approximately $200 million specifically for more than 900 Christian faith-based healthcare facilities across the country.
These faith-based clinics, which constitute about 10 per cent of providers in Nigeria, currently serve over 30 per cent of the 230 million population, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities. The targeted funding is aimed at expanding access to integrated services for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and child health. Washington has highlighted the critical role these institutions play in a nation that accounts for 30 per cent of the global malaria burden and faces significant maternal mortality challenges.
The US Mission in Nigeria stated that this assistance is intended to protect both Nigerian and American lives while strengthening the bilateral partnership. This investment comes amid a period of heightened international discourse regarding the situation of Christians in Nigeria and claims of genocide, which the Nigerian government and many analysts have rejected. The agreement represents the largest co-investment by any country to date under the new US health strategy.
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