Kenya's William Ruto secures US health aid in first deal under Trump administration

Kenya becomes the first African country to secure US health funding since cuts to foreign aid by Trump.

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The $2.5bn (£1.9bn) deal is aimed at combating infectious diseases in Kenya, with similar agreements expected to be rolled out in other African countries aligned with Trump's broader foreign policy goals.

The government-to-government deal aims to boost transparency and accountability but has raised fears it could give the US real-time access to critical health databases, including sensitive patient information.

Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale sought to allay such fears, saying "only de-identified, aggregated data" would be shared.

On his first day in office in January, Trump announced a freeze on foreign aid as part of a government spending review, dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and cut billions in aid to poorer countries.