US and Philippines Sign Joint Declaration of Intent to Strengthen Bilateral Health Cooperation
Summary
The U.S. Department of State announced the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent with the Philippines to establish a framework for bilateral health cooperation. The declaration commits both nations to negotiate a five-year Strategic Objective Agreement addressing HIV, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases under the America First Global Health Strategy. The initiative represents $20.6 billion in total funding across 30 bilateral health MOUs signed with partner countries.
What changed
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines signed a Joint Declaration of Intent establishing a framework for health cooperation aimed at transitioning the Philippines to greater autonomy in its health systems while strengthening capacity to detect and respond to global health threats including HIV, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. The declaration commits both parties to negotiate a five-year Strategic Objective Agreement advancing the three pillars of the Trump Administration's America First Global Health Strategy.
For affected parties, this declaration formalizes ongoing U.S.-Philippine health collaboration and signals continued bilateral health assistance. Healthcare providers and public health authorities in both nations should monitor progress toward the planned Strategic Objective Agreement. The framework builds on over $20.6 billion in health funding commitments across 30 bilateral MOUs, indicating sustained U.S. investment in global health diplomacy.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates on the five-year Strategic Objective Agreement negotiations
- Track implementation of health cooperation objectives under the America First Global Health Strategy
Archived snapshot
Apr 10, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Home Office of the Spokesperson Press Releases United States and the Philippines Sign Joint Declaration of Intent to Strengthen Bilateral Health Cooperation
United States and the Philippines Sign Joint Declaration of Intent to Strengthen Bilateral Health Cooperation
Press Statement
Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
April 9, 2026
Today, the United States and the Republic of the Philippines signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to establish a framework for health cooperation to transition the Philippines to greater autonomy and self-reliance in its health systems while strengthening the Philippines’ capacity to detect and respond to global health threats, including HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious diseases. Signed through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, this Joint Declaration of Intent commits to co-funding mutually agreed upon global health objectives in the near future, furthering U.S.-Philippine bilateral collaboration in the health sector. This Joint Declaration is complemented by the U.S. health assistance announced in September 2025 to combat tuberculosis, advance maternal health, and strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response.
Under the Joint Declaration, the United States and the Philippines will negotiate a five-year Strategic Objective Agreement that advances all three pillars of the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. This new arrangement will save American and Filipino lives, increase the resiliency of the Philippine health system through coordinated co-funding, and promote innovations in program delivery to slow the spread of infectious diseases like TB and HIV. The Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy helps safeguard Americans from health threats while enhancing the well-being of people in the region.
America First Global Health Strategy Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed so far represent more than $20.6 billion in new health funding including more than $12.8 billion in U.S. assistance alongside $7.8 billion in co-investment from recipient countries, building on decades of progress fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases around the world. As of April 7, the State Department has signed 30 bilateral global health MOUs with Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Uganda.
Tags
Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy Disease Prevention, Detection, and Response Health HIV/AIDS Office of the Spokesperson Philippines Tuberculosis
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