The United States and Ivory Coast have signed a health agreement committing $480 million (£385 million) to the West African nation’s health sector, marking the latest in a series of “America First” global health funding pacts. The deal, signed in the capital Abidjan, covers HIV, malaria, maternal and child health, and global health security.
Ivory Coast is one of more than a dozen African countries to enter such agreements with the US, many of which have been hit by Washington’s aid cuts. The new approach moves away from traditional assistance towards a model centred on trade, innovation and shared responsibility, according to US Ambassador Jessica Davis Ba.
Under the agreement, Ivory Coast commits to providing up to 163 billion CFA francs ($292 million) by 2030, representing 60% of the overall commitment, said Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé. The US government says the “America First” strategy aims to increase self-sufficiency and eliminate waste from international aid.
The deal replaces previous health agreements under the now-dismantled US Agency for International Development (USAID). In Ivory Coast, USAID had previously invested $115 million in health, education and refugee support. Analysts say the transactional approach aligns with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy style.
