THE United States and Papua New Guinea signed a five-year health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding today, expanding the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy into the Pacific region.
Under the MOU, the United States, working with Congress, intends to provide up to $15 million (approx. K63 million) to strengthen Papua New Guinea’s ability to prevent and respond to infectious diseases, combat HIV/AIDS, and detect health threats before they spread internationally.
“Papua New Guinea is a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific, and this health Memorandum strengthens our longstanding cooperation,” said Alex Berenberg, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in Port Moresby. “Together, we’re building sustainable systems that detect and respond to infectious diseases and health threats, advancing our shared commitment to health security in the region.”
Papua New Guinea intends to allocate up to $3 million (approx. K12.5 million) to disease control programs and strengthen health systems at the national and provincial levels.
Health Minister Elias Kapavore said: “I am pleased to sign this MOU with our American partners today, and I acknowledge the generous assistance of the U.S. Government towards HIV, health security and surveillance. The initiatives funded by the U.S. target critical system strengthening priorities. The efforts to improve surveillance and improve the way we use data and technology have the potential to be game changers in our health system.
The $18 million (approx. K79 million) health MOU intends to support HIV/AIDS programs and global health security initiatives, including:
- Maintaining critical data systems for health
- Strengthening laboratories, epidemiologic surveillance, and community monitoring across disease programs
- Expanding diagnostic and essential health services using innovative technology and cost-effective approaches
- Building national surveillance, surge-response capacity, and crisis-management systems
The partnership aims to increase Papua New Guinea’s self-sufficiency in health by enabling the government to independently manage new health threats while maintaining essential services.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Papua New Guinea’s national health system and improving health outcomes for all Papua New Guineans,” Minister Kapavore added.
Since 2005, the United States provided over $103 million in global health assistance to Papua New Guinea, including HIV/AIDS and global health security programs.
$28 million of that total helped Papua New Guinea build an integrated health data system that strengthens the government’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to disease while improving its capacity to plan, finance, and manage health services.
This jointly decided health MOU ensures the decades of U.S.-Papua New Guinea health cooperation will benefit Papua New Guineans and Americans for years to come.