September 15, 2026 | 14:03 (GMT+7)
Health cooperation adds fresh momentum to Viet Nam-U.S. relations
The U.S. Department of State said in a press statement issued on September 14 that a new five-year phase of health cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam builds on the strong foundation of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, while complementing robust ties between the two countries in trade, security, and innovation.
On September 11, the U.S. and Viet Nam signed a five-year bilateral Health Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS), advancing a new model of co-investment in global health.
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The signing ceremony between Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan and U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Wicks, Ha Noi, September 11, 2026 |
Through this MOU, the U.S. Department of State, working with Congress, plans to provide 98.75 million USD in life-saving global health assistance over the next five years, including 21.385 million USD in dedicated Global Health Security funding, to support Viet Nam’s transition to full country ownership of its HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis programs while strengthening its capacity to detect and respond to emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats.
According to the department, this five-year partnership ensures that the gains achieved through more than two decades of U.S. support are preserved, owned, and sustained by Viet Nam’s own health institutions.
As Viet Nam charts a new path for its health care system, this partnership is expected to deliver measurable results over the next five years. HIV and TB programming will fully transition to Vietnamese ownership within that period. Viet Nam will move closer to its HIV epidemic-control targets through expanded prevention, case finding, and treatment, backed by greater domestic ownership and sustainability. Earlier detection and treatment of tuberculosis will reduce transmission, morbidity, and mortality, while lowering the risk of drug-resistant TB reaching the U.S.
America First Global Health Strategy Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed so far represent more than 24.7 billion USD in new health funding, including more than 14.6 billion USD in U.S. assistance alongside more than 10.1 billion USD 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 September 11, the U.S. Department of State has signed 35 bilateral global health MOUs.
Source: VNA