The United States and Liberia on Wednesday signed a landmark five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will deliver $124,418,400 in U.S. government support to strengthen Liberia’s health system.
This is the first large-scale U.S. health-sector engagement since an aid freeze under the administration of former President Donald Trump.
The agreement was signed in Washington, D.C., by Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, and Jeremy P. Lewin, U.S. Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom, the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday.
Liberia is the third African country to conclude this category of bilateral health cooperation with the U.S., following Kenya and Rwanda, U.S. it said.
Under the five-year partnership, planned U.S. assistance will support expanded disease surveillance and rapid outbreak response, strengthen national and regional laboratory systems, modernize supply chains for medicines and essential commodities, scale up the frontline health workforce, develop integrated digital health information systems, and make targeted investments in maternal, child and infectious disease services.
“This government-to-government engagement is a symbol of deepening bilateral relations between the United States and Liberia,” Lewin said at the signing, noting the agreement demonstrates “commitment to health security, innovation in disease response, and long-term systems resilience.”
Minister Nyanti thanked the U.S. government and acknowledged the technical role of Liberia’s Ministry of Health. “On behalf of His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., and the people of Liberia, we extend deep appreciation to the Government and people of the United States for this historic partnership,” she said.
Liberian officials have said the earlier aid freeze contributed to strains in maternal and child health, disease control and prevention programs, and disrupted supplies for malaria, HIV, vaccines and family planning.
“To make sure the system stays afloat we have to take a dramatic switch to see where we will be cutting funding for other areas,” Deputy Finance Minister Dehpue Zuo told The Associated Press, underscoring fiscal pressures on the government.
Public finances and recent health spending figures put the new assistance in context. Liberia’s health-sector expenditure rose to $91.3 million in 2025 from $76.5 million in 2024, an increase of about 19.3 percent. The draft 2026 budget allocates $101.71 million to the health sector for drug supply, mental health services and rural health infrastructure.
The government estimates Official Development Assistance (ODA) for FY2026 at $312.84 million, with $119.88 million earmarked for human capital development; principal donors include the World Bank, the European Union and the African Development Bank.
The U.S. State Department will serve as the implementing agency for the assistance, which is expected to complement ongoing USAID programs. According to Liberia’s Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, USAID support for 2025 was expected to total $23.9 million, with $6.4 million budgeted for the first quarter.
Officials say the MOU’s diagnostic and systems-strengthening focus aims to improve Liberia’s readiness for outbreaks and expand equitable access to care, particularly in rural areas where services remain limited and many citizens rely on customary providers. Implementation details and timelines will be worked out between the two governments as the five-year program moves forward.
