THE US Embassy in the Philippines and the Department of Health (DOH) signed a five-year, P42 billion health cooperation agreement that aims to strengthen the capacity to detect, treat and prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB).
In a statement Friday, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton said in a tweet, “Proud to sign this agreement, which will take our cooperation with the DOH to the NEXT LEVEL!”
The Health Strategic Objective Agreement — which was finalized on July 22 — highlights a co-investment from both countries, with the Philippines committed to over P30 billion to its health systems over the next five years, and the United States — through its government and Congress — plans to contribute more than P11.8 billion in the same period.
These funds will directly support targeted programs aimed at detecting, treating, and preventing HIV and TB across the country.
Priority areas include expanding disease surveillance, upgrading laboratory detection, accelerating outbreak responses, and integrating health service delivery across various disease management programs.
“The agreement will save American and Filipino lives, increase the resiliency of the Philippine health system through coordinated co-funding, and promote innovations to slow the spread of infectious diseases, like TB and HIV, that threaten both the United States and the Philippines,” the US Embassy in the Philippines said.
The signing of the agreement coincided with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Manila, who noted that the signing marks a key milestone in the administration of President Donald Trump’s America First Global Health Strategy.
