Civil Society Raises Alarm Over U.S.–East Africa Bilateral Health Funding Deals

Global civil society organizations have placed Uganda and Kenya under scrutiny following their decision to sign new bilateral health funding agreements with the United States.

They warn that the deals could undermine national sovereignty and data protection. 

Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Liberia last week signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. 

The agreements provide five to ten years of health funding and technical support in exchange for co-financing, access to health data, pathogen specimens, and national health system information. 

Civil society actors say the government-to-government financing model marks a significant shift in global health cooperation, moving away from multilateral frameworks that traditionally involve civil society participation and oversight.


In a joint letter led by African public health and social justice networks, civil society groups urged President Yoweri Museveni and other African leaders to demand equity and protect sovereignty in bilateral health agreements with the United States. 

They expressed concern that the MOUs grant the U.S. extensive access to national health data systems and pathogen samples without corresponding commitments on equitable benefit-sharing, technology transfer, fair pricing, or long-term public health system strengthening. 


Uganda has long struggled with health financing, particularly for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, leading many to expect the new funding to be widely welcomed. However, civil society groups argue that the agreement raises human rights and equity concerns, especially regarding data ownership and sovereignty. 

In Kenya, similar concerns sparked legal action, with activists warning that the MOU could allow U.S. access to personal medical records. The High Court subsequently ordered the suspension of the agreement.