Rwanda, US seal five-year Rwf332bn partnership to strengthen disease response

Rwandan and US officials on Friday, December 5, signed a five-year, $228 million – about Rwf332 billion – arrangement that outlines a comprehensive vision to save lives, strengthen Rwanda’s health system, and make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous, reads part of a statement by the US Department of State. The partnership heralds “a new era” in Rwanda-US health cooperation, according to government spokesperson Yolande Makolo. Heralding a new era in Rwanda/US health cooperation: “Today in Washington, Jeremy Lewin, Senior Official, Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom & Minister @ONduhungirehe signed the Department of State’s second bilateral health... pic.twitter.com/gohrLCH7Fv — Yolande Makolo (@YolandeMakolo) December 6, 2025 The Department of State’s second bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, between the United States and Rwanda was signed, in Washington, by Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Jeremy Lewin, the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom. According to the US Department of State, under the arrangement, working with Congress, the US intends to provide up to $158 million over the next five years to support Rwanda’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, and to bolster disease surveillance and outbreak response. In turn, it is noted, the Government of Rwanda plans to increase its own domestic health investment by $70 million, taking on greater financial responsibility as U.S. support is gradually reduced over the years. The statement adds: “This partnership also helps further American commercial interest in Rwanda and Africa more broadly. For example, the agreement builds on the Department’s landmark November 2025 award to Zipline International Inc. to support the construction of American-made advanced robotics for the delivery of life-saving medical products. “Under the terms of that award, Rwanda, the earliest adopter of Zipline’s technology in Africa, will be responsible for operating and maintaining the cutting-edge supply infrastructure funded by U.S. assistance.” In addition, the arrangement includes $10 million of funding for American technology company Ginkgo Bioworks to expand their disease outbreak surveillance in Rwanda, which establishes a biothreat radar system that will help monitor potential outbreaks in the broader region. The arrangement also outlines several health areas where Rwanda is interested in additional U.S. private sector partnership and investment including developing next generation HIV treatments and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare.

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Rwanda, US seal five-year Rwf332bn partnership to strengthen disease response