US and Ivory Coast agree on $480 million aid package

US Administration Signs Bilateral Health Deal with Ivory Coast

The United States has signed a $480 million public health aid agreement with the Ivory Coast. The deal was finalized in Abidjan, the capital city of the West African nation, on Tuesday. This marks one of several bilateral agreements the Trump administration has reached under its America First Global Health Strategy.

As part of the agreement, the Ivory Coast has committed to providing up to $292 million in health funding by 2030. The US ambassador to the Ivory Coast, Jessica Davis Ba, stated that the bilateral cooperation is entering a new phase, with a focus on trade, innovation, and shared prosperity.

The Trump administration has maintained that its approach will create more accountability, oversight, and eventual self-sufficiency. However, experts have questioned the efficacy of this approach, citing concerns over its transactional nature.

Other countries affected by US foreign aid cuts have also reached bilateral agreements with the US government. The Ivory Coast deal is the largest of these arrangements, surpassing a dozen other agreements reached under the new strategy.

The Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy aims to forge bilateral deals with dozens of countries to receive US health assistance. This move comes as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has faced significant cuts earlier this year, disrupting public health services worldwide.

Public health experts have raised concerns about the potential risks associated with the new strategy, including the impact on HIV prevention, maternal and child healthcare, malaria cases, and early detection of infectious diseases. An analysis by the Center for Global Development identified several areas of risk, including transactional pressures, oversight issues, and a lack of clarity on how services will be protected if partner countries fail to meet their commitments.

The deal was signed at a ceremony attended by US officials and Ivorian government representatives.

Source: Al Jazeera