NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: David J. Olson, Global Health Council 202.833.5900 x3201 or dolson@globalhealth.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 16, 2009
U.S. CONGRESS FINALIZES RECORD GLOBAL HEALTH FUNDING LEVELS A conference committee of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a Consolidated Appropriations Bill (HR 3288) on Dec. 13 that included the greatest financial commitment ever made by the U.S. government to non-HIV/AIDS funding, particularly in the areas of malaria, family planning and neglected tropical diseases 1 . Jeffrey L. Sturchio, president and CEO of the Global Health Council, welcomed the increases and noted their importance in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. “This is an encouraging step toward implementing the ambitious six-year Global Health Initiative that President Obama announced in May. We look forward to working with the administration, on behalf of our nearly 600 organizational members, to ensure that the U.S. continues to act on its strong commitment to global health,” he said. “A particularly significant policy change is the overturning of the federal funding ban on needle exchange, which has been an impediment to evidence-based HIV prevention.”
In addition to funding increases, the Fiscal Year 2010 omnibus bill includes a number of policy changes of importance to the global health community: • •
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The bill removes the federal funding ban on syringe exchange. The bill does not include the Senate committee-approved Lautenberg Amendment that would have permanently repealed the controversial Global Gag Rule, which expanded the ban on using U.S. funds for abortion-related services. In January, President Obama issued an executive order overturning the ban but there is nothing to prevent a future president from reinstating it. While the bill does include language supporting the Obama administration’s decision to restore U.S. contributions to UNFPA, it does not repeal a variety of U.S. restrictions that govern UNFPA funding.
State/Foreign Operations Bill Proposed funding for State, Foreign Operations and related agencies totaled $48.8 billion. Of that, $7.8 billion was allocated to Global Health and Child Survival (GHCS) programs, The most common NTDs are ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma, dracunculiasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Buruli ulcer and leprosy.
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which is $440 million more than the total enacted in 2009 and $184 million more than the President’s FY 2010 budget request. Here are the agreed FY 2010 levels for specific areas of global health and the increase over FY 2009 enacted levels: •
HIV/AIDS (USAID and State): $5.7 billion; $200 million above FY09. This includes Global Fund: $750 million; $150 million above FY09
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Malaria: $585 million; $200 million above FY09
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Tuberculosis: $225 million; $62 million above FY09
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Maternal & Child Health: $549 million; $54 million above FY09
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Family Planning: $648.5 million; $103 million above FY09
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Neglected Tropical Diseases: $65 million; $40 above FY09
Labor, Health & Human Services Bill The bill also includes global health funding through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Labor, Health & Human Services bill. Funding levels are as follows: •
CDC Global Immunization: $153.6 million; $11.6 million above FY09
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CDC Global AIDS: $119 million; same as FY09
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CDC Malaria: $9.4 million; same as FY09
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National Institutes of Health contributions to the Global Fund: $ 300 million; same as FY09
The bill, as summarized by the conference report, included six of the seven FY 2010 appropriations bills still waiting to be passed including the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies; Financial Services and general government; Labor, Health and Human Services; Education, and related agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies; and State, Foreign Operations, and related agencies. See our Public Policy Update: www.globalhealth.org/view_top.php3?id=48#121509 ###
The Council is the world’s largest membership alliance of public health organizations and professionals dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world. The Council’s nearly 600 organizational and 5,000 individual members work in 140 countries on six continents.