U.S. Global Health Funding

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released a collection of new resources examining global health and HIV/AIDS funding in the Obama administration's FY12 budget proposal. A new fact sheet breaks down the $9.8 billion budget request for the Global Health Initiative (GHI), a six-year, $63 billion effort to develop a comprehensive U.S. government strategy for global health programs, including those for HIV/AIDS and malaria. A second fact sheet examines the $28.3 billion in proposed funding for HIV/AIDS programs both within the U.S. and overseas. The foundation also has updated its Global Health Budget Tracker and relevant Kaiser Slides charts (2/24).

Key Senators for Global Health Issues

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog profiles four Senators who are "worth watching" as the Senate "considers the massive cuts in global health spending for fiscal year (FY) 2011. ... The Senate will also be the key to any effort to increase or even protect current funding for global health programs in FY 2012." Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are profiled (Lubinski/Bryden, 2/19).

Possible Effects of Reducing U.S. Investment in Global Health

If U.S. global health spending is reduced to FY 2008 levels, as proposed by some House Republicans, it "would have a devastating effect on people around the world," according to a report (.pdf) by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, states a press release by the group. "Annually, according to the analysis: 32,650 more infants could be infected with HIV due to reductions in services to combat mother-to-child transmission; 487,514 orphans and vulnerable children could lose their food, education, and livelihood assistance; funding for AIDS treatment for 315,413 people would be eliminated; almost 15 million fewer people would be treated for malaria; and 143,314 fewer people with tuberculosis (TB) and 1,440 fewer people with multidrug-resistant TB would receive lifesaving treatment," the release states (2/17).

Back to other news for February 2011