This week, representatives from the Governments of the United States of America and the Kingdom of Lesotho negotiated a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the next five years of robust joint commitments to Lesotho's healthcare system that will build on the 18 years of foreign assistance that the American people have provided to help Lesotho achieve remarkable results in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
To advance the America First Global Health Strategy and negotiate the MOU, a U.S. delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Health Policy and Diplomacy Mamadi Yilla, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Thomas Hines at the U.S. Embassy in Maseru, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and International Religious Freedom Laken Rapier, and representatives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control met Lesotho officials led by Minister of Health Selibe Mochoboroane and Acting Minister of Finance and Development Planning Professor Ntoi Rapapa. The U.S. delegation also met representatives of faith-based organizations that provide lifesaving health care in Lesotho. Marion Gleixner, Senior Fund Portfolio Manager at The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, which counts the United States as its largest donor, also attended the meetings.
The new bilateral agreement builds upon the health foreign assistance that the United States has provided Lesotho since 2007 through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and will ensure joint funding for frontline healthcare workers and for purchases of commodities during the five-year agreement period. It ensures there are data systems in place to monitor potential outbreaks and broader health outcomes. The agreement also outlines U.S. technical assistance to support the Government of Lesotho in taking over key functions of its health system management. Under the framework established in the MOU, the two countries will continue discussions and planning for Lesotho to achieve jointly agreed performance benchmarks toward a resilient, self-reliant, and durable health system. Representatives of both governments plan to sign the MOU in December, and the agreement will be implemented beginning April 2026.
