Sierra Leone and the United States Sign $129 Million Health Agreement

Sierra Leone and the United States signed a major five-year health cooperation agreement on Monday, committing over $129 million in U.S. funding to tackle infectious diseases and strengthen the West African nation’s healthcare infrastructure.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which covers the period from 2026 to 2030, was signed in Freetown by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health and the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires. The deal makes Sierra Leone one of a select group of African nations to enter into such a comprehensive partnership with the U.S. government.
The agreement sets aggressive targets for the next half-decade, aiming to significantly lower maternal and child mortality rates and reduce deaths from HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and measles. Specific goals include achieving near-universal HIV testing and treatment, as well as bolstering the country’s ability to detect and respond to disease outbreaks within seven days.