The U.S. Department of State has released its new America First Global Health Strategy, outlining a vision to safeguard Americans, strengthen global health systems, and promote U.S. innovation worldwide.

The strategy is anchored on three key pillars:

Safer: The U.S. pledged continued support for a global surveillance system to rapidly detect infectious disease outbreaks. In cases of emergencies, Washington says it will work with local governments to respond swiftly, deploy resources, and take measures to prevent outbreaks from reaching American shores.

Stronger: The initiative introduces a new foreign assistance approach, positioning U.S. health aid as a strategic tool to advance bilateral relations while supporting countries to build resilient health systems. Under multi-year bilateral agreements, recipient countries will co-invest in health programs, fund frontline healthcare workers, and adopt data systems to track outbreaks and improve outcomes. The strategy emphasizes government-to-government cooperation, greater use of local and private sector capacity, and reduced dependency on U.S. assistance over time.

More Prosperous: The policy also aims to protect American jobs and boost the economy by promoting U.S. health innovations abroad. Foreign assistance programs will prioritize procurement from American companies, while bilateral partnerships will help expand the reach of U.S. products and technologies globally.

According to the State Department, the new approach will “not only save lives and assist countries around the world in developing resilient and durable health systems, but also make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”