US, Malawi Sign $936 Million Health Cooperation Pact Under America First Global Health Strategy
Washington | January 14, 2026
The United States and the Government of Malawi have signed a landmark five-year bilateral health cooperation agreement valued at $936 million, aimed at strengthening Malawi’s national healthcare system while protecting Americans from global infectious disease threats.
The agreement, signed under the America First Global Health Strategy, represents a shift in U.S. global health assistance toward national ownership, accountability, and sustainable healthcare delivery.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the United States plans—subject to congressional approval—to provide up to $792 million over the next five years to support Malawi’s fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases, as well as to enhance disease surveillance and outbreak response systems.
Malawi, in turn, has committed to increasing its annual health spending by an additional $143.8 million over the life of the agreement, reflecting a new model of co-investment and shared responsibility.
A key objective of the MOU is to build on Malawi’s progress in controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to sustain the country’s 95-95-95 targets for epidemic control through integrated, government-led service delivery models that will continue after the agreement concludes.
The partnership also marks a decisive move away from parallel NGO-driven healthcare systems, placing greater responsibility and operational control within Malawi’s own government institutions. Under the new framework, Malawi will co-invest across a broad range of health priorities including maternal and child health, polio eradication, and global health security, while expanding the use of digital health technologies to reach underserved rural populations.
US officials said the agreement is designed to help create a more resilient, responsive, and self-sustaining healthcare system in Malawi, while strengthening international safeguards against emerging health threats that could affect Americans.
The United States also announced that similar multi-year bilateral health cooperation MOUs will be signed in the coming weeks with dozens of other partner countries as part of the broader America First Global Health Strategy.