| Photo by Pulkit Jain on Unsplash
MANILA — The United States and the Philippines have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to strengthen bilateral health cooperation, marking a major step toward expanding Manila’s capacity to respond to infectious diseases and improving long‑term health system resilience.
The declaration, signed on April 9, 2026, establishes a framework for deeper collaboration under the America First Global Health Strategy, a U.S. initiative aimed at safeguarding Americans from global health threats while supporting partner nations’ health systems.
According to the U.S. State Department, the agreement aims to help the Philippines transition toward greater autonomy and self‑reliance in healthcare, particularly in detecting and responding to diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious threats.
A Framework for Long‑Term Health Collaboration
In a press statement, Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, said the declaration “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.”
Pigott emphasized that the initiative is part of the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which has already produced 30 bilateral health MOUs worldwide, representing more than $20.6 billion in global health funding. Of this amount, $12.8 billion comes from U.S. assistance and $7.8 billion from partner‑country co‑investment.
Under the Joint Declaration, Washington and Manila will negotiate a five‑year Strategic Objective Agreement outlining specific health priorities, funding commitments, and programmatic targets.
What the Cooperation Entails
The cooperation focuses on three pillars of the America First Global Health Strategy: (a) Strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response; (b) Improving maternal and community health outcomes, and (c) expanding prevention and treatment programs for HIV, TB, and other infectious diseases
The U.S. noted that the declaration complements health assistance announced in September 2025, which included support for TB control, maternal health, and enhanced disease surveillance.
The Philippines is one of the countries with existing MOUs under the strategy, joining nations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The State Department said the new declaration “commits to co‑funding mutually agreed‑upon global health objectives in the near future, furthering U.S.–Philippine bilateral collaboration in the health sector.”
Background: A Growing Health Partnership
The U.S. and the Philippines have a long history of cooperation in public health, including decades of collaboration on HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and pandemic preparedness. The new declaration builds on this foundation by creating a more structured, long‑term framework for joint planning and investment.
The agreement also aligns with Manila’s efforts to modernize its healthcare system and reduce dependence on foreign aid by increasing domestic capacity and co‑funding mechanisms. Officials said the partnership will help the Philippines strengthen laboratory systems, expand community‑based health programs, and improve emergency response capabilities.
The declaration comes at a time when both countries continue to face global health challenges, including rising TB cases in the Philippines and ongoing concerns about emerging infectious diseases.
Next Steps
Negotiations for the five‑year Strategic Objective Agreement are expected to begin in the coming months. Both governments said they aim to finalize the agreement within the year to begin implementing new programs by 2027.
In its statement, the U.S. State Department reaffirmed that the partnership “helps safeguard Americans from health threats while enhancing the well‑being of people in the region.”
