Baghdad, Iraq:To further health cooperation as called for under the U.S.-Iraqi Strategic Framework Agreement, the United States Government and the Government of Iraq’s Ministry of Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to support efforts to improve and expand delivery of essential primary health care services throughout the country.  The Deputy Minister of Health and the Acting Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed the MOU at a ceremony at the Ministry of Health on September 20, 2011.  USAID’s Primary Health Care Program in Iraq will increase coverage for vulnerable and at-risk populations, such as children under five, women, and Internally Displaced Persons.

The MOU is the foundation for collaboration between the Ministry of Health and USAID’s Primary Health Care Program. This partnership will improve the quality of primary health care across Iraq and focus on the fight against existing and emerging health concerns, such as chronic and non-communicable diseases.  USAID and the Ministry will also work together to build the Ministry’s human resource capacity.

This work is jointly funded by the United States Government and the Government of Iraq.  Both governments look forward to long-term cooperation, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and the Strategic Framework Agreement, to improve the health of Iraqis throughout the country.

USAID is an independent U.S. Government federal agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Since 2003, USAID has invested more than $7 billion in programs designed to stabilize communities; foster economic and agricultural growth; and build the capacity of the national, local, and provincial governments to respond to the needs of the Iraqi people. For more information about USAID programs, please visit our website at http://iraq.usaid.gov. The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for fifty years.

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