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The United States (US) under Donald Trump has made some bold health moves, which include its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and cutting global AID funding.
Amidst these developments, an Instagram user, @momohkamara16, shared a video making several claims around a new America First health strategy document that seeks to control Africa for the next 25 years.
She said Africans are underreacting to this new development, which is detrimental to them.
“As Africans, I believe we are underreacting. The US has just signed a deal for the America First health policy, where they get to monitor African countries for 25 years. These are the countries that have already signed the memorandum of understanding.”
Over the video, she listed eight countries that had signed the memorandum of understanding with the US on its new strategy. These countries are: Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho, Kenya, Eswatini, Liberia, and Mozambique.
She added that there is no news coverage of these countries that have signed the MoU, except for Kenya, where there is citizen pushback.
“There is no news coverage for any of these countries except for Kenya, whose citizens are pushing back. But none of the other countries are pushing back,” she said.
She also highlighted problematic parts of this strategy document, which she said need to be questioned.
“They just released a 40-page document to the American people on what this looks like. Pay attention to the last, ‘we will continue to be world leaders and the most generous nation in the world, but we will do so in a way that directly benefits the American people and directly promotes our national interest’. Why, as an African country, will you sign a document that says you are going to put another country’s interest above your own?” she questioned.
“Making the US safer by surveilling. The US will continue to engage bilaterally to the maximum extent possible to ensure global security against disease threats and increase its focus on countries where the outbreak is at high risk. The intent is crazy because that means they are willing to do everything and anything to keep Americans safe, disregarding African lives and African countries just signed this.
“My favourite part of the doc is the commercial partnerships with private and public US companies. The agreement is between two governments, but this part is for the United States handing over health data, sensitive information on Africans to private and public companies,” she said.
As of Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, the post had attracted 16,200 likes and 1,500 comments.
Users in the comment section were angry, with many expressing their disappointment with African leaders.
_nigerianhair wrote, “Africa, especially Nigeria, pisses me off every day.”
Bekenneth questioned whether Africa is crazy to sign on to such deals with the US. He wrote, “IS AFRICA CRAZY!!!! USA IS NOT A HELP!!!.”
Another user, nwntheworld, wrote, “The most UNHEALTHY country wanting to advise another is diabolical.”
Given that this claim affects public health and the people of several African countries, including Nigeria, and the several requests we have received to verify the claims, DUBAWA decided to investigate.
Verification
Claim 1: The US has just signed a deal for the America First health policy, where they get to monitor African countries for 25 years.
Verdict: True
In September 2025, the US published a 40-page document titled “America First
Global Health Strategy” (AFGHS).
The strategy aims to use global health diplomacy and foreign assistance to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. The goal of this strategy, as the document noted, is to end the inefficiencies, waste, and dependency of the US’s current system.
Part of the document reads, “We aim to complete bilateral agreements with recipient countries receiving the vast majority of US health foreign assistance by December 31, 2025, with the goal of beginning to implement these new agreements by April 2026.”
According to a model specimen-sharing agreement obtained by Health Policy Watch, the participant country agrees to share specimen data within five days of receiving a request from the US. The African signing countries also consent to the US Government sharing the specimen and related data with ten non-US Government entities that have the capacity to develop diagnostics and medical countermeasures.
This agreement specifies a 25-year duration for data sharing.
“This Agreement shall enter into force thirty (30) days after signature by both parties.
Parties and shall remain in force for [twenty-five (25)] years,” article 5 of the model specimen sharing agreement reads.
Claim 2: Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho, Eswatini, Kenya, Liberia, and Mozambique are the countries that have signed the MoU.
Verdict: Partly True
As of January 2026, 14 African countries, not eight as listed by the claimant, have signed the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) under this America First framework. These countries are: Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana, Liberia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Sierra Leone.
It is important to note that while the AFGHS is publicly available, none of the bilateral agreements between the US and the participating African countries are publicly available, except for Kenya.
Claim 3: There is no news coverage for any of these countries except for Kenya, whose citizens are pushing back
Verdict: False
While the reportage for some countries is limited, we found several news reports on the MoU signing for Nigeria, here, here, and here.
For Cameroon, we found news reports here, and here, for Liberia; here and here, for Estwasisini; here and here, for Lesotho; here and here, for Mozambique; here, here and here, and for Seirra leone, here.
Claim 4: The United States will be handing over health data and sensitive information on Africans to private and public companies.
Verdict: True
Part B of Article Two under the specimen sharing model document revealed that participating countries consent to the US Government sharing specimens and related data for the purpose of developing diagnostics and medical countermeasures.
“… consents to the U.S. Government sharing the specimen and related data for the purpose of developing diagnostics and medical countermeasures with up to ten (10) non-U.S. Government U.S. entities (‘U.S. Recipients’), each of whom must have the capability to assist in developing diagnostics and/or medical countermeasures.”
Conclusion
The claims made about the America First Global Health Strategy are mostly true. The US, as part of its strategy, has signed a deal with 14 African countries to use global health diplomacy and foreign assistance to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. However, the claim that there is no news coverage about these developments is false.