The United States and Panama have entered into a three-year agreement to enhance health cooperation, marking the first bilateral global health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the Western Hemisphere under the America First Global Health Strategy. The MOU aims to strengthen both countries' abilities to prevent and respond to infectious disease threats.
According to the agreement, the U.S. Department of State plans to allocate up to $22.5 million over three years, pending congressional approval, to help Panama combat HIV/AIDS and improve its disease surveillance systems. In return, Panama has pledged to increase its own health spending by more than $11 million as part of a move toward greater national responsibility for its healthcare system.
"This $33.5 million partnership is particularly significant for our hemisphere, where self-reliant health systems prevent diseases from spreading across borders and putting Americans at risk," states the press release.
The initiative includes efforts to strengthen laboratory capabilities in Panama so that potential health threats can be detected and contained locally before they spread regionally or reach the United States. One aspect of the MOU focuses on expanding decentralized primary care services targeting priority infectious diseases in rural areas. Community health workers will use digital devices for electronic medical records and real-time disease reporting, which is expected to facilitate immediate sharing of laboratory results and improve patient monitoring for HIV and other diseases.
"By the end of the MOU period, Panama will have integrated U.S.-funded frontline healthcare and laboratory workers responsible for administering U.S.-funded infectious disease support into its national health workforce, ensuring long-term sustainability of critical health services and advancing a resilient, country-owned health system that protects both Panamanian and American populations from health security threats," according to the statement.
The broader America First Global Health Strategy has resulted in 18 bilateral MOUs with countries such as Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, and others since February 25. These agreements represent more than $18.6 billion in new global health funding—including over $11.3 billion from U.S. assistance—and focus on fighting diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, among others.
