Advocacy Update: Top Things to Know This Week
President Biden to host Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference
On August 28, the White House announced that President Biden will host the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference on September 19 in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The conference will bring together governments, civil society, and the private sector with the goal of raising at least US$18 billion to get the world back on track to end HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria as public health threats by 2030. The U.S. is the founding contributor and largest single donor to the Global Fund, having contributed nearly $20 billion since 2002.
End TB Now Act of 2022 introduced in the House
On August 5, Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) introduced the End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2022. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic reversed years of progress against tuberculosis, the bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen U.S. efforts to prevent, treat, and cure TB globally. A full copy of the legislation can be found here. GHC endorses the reintroduction of the End Tuberculosis Now Act to bolster U.S. assistance in ending TB as a threat to global health security.
“I’m grateful for the leadership of Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA) and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) for introducing this bill, which will help reach those most affected by TB and those left behind by health systems continuing to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone deserves high-quality care. TB is preventable and treatable, and this legislation will help global health programs around the world ensure that people are given quality care when and where they need it.” – Elisha Dunn-Georgiou, President & CEO, Global Health Council
Senate Appropriators release FY23 spending bills
On July 28, the Senate Appropriations Committee released their Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) spending bills. The State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill includes 64.56 billion for foreign affairs, which is $6.56 billion more than the FY22 enacted level. Funding for global health programs totals $10.5 billion, an increase of $680 million above the FY22 enacted level. The bill also provides $950 million for global health security supplemental funding and $5 billion in emergency COVID-19 response supplemental funding. A full summary of the bill is available here. GHC released a statement welcoming the small but essential increases to global health funding and emergency supplemental funding, while noting the proposed bill falls short of providing adequate assistance for many global health programs.
Dr. Fauci to step down from public service in December
On August 22, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced that he will be stepping down in December from his positions as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as his role as Chief Medical Adviser to President Biden. For nearly four decades, Dr. Fauci has served under seven presidents and advised them through numerous health crises, such as the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Biden appoints new PMI coordinator
On August 15, Dr. David Walton was appointed the new U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator and will oversee the U.S. government’s efforts to combat malaria. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Senior Director of Global Health at the Butterfly Network, Inc. and worked at Build Health International and Partners In Health.
Senate Appropriators release FY23 spending bills
On July 28, the Senate Appropriations Committee released their Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) spending bills. The State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill includes 64.56 billion for foreign affairs, which is $6.56 billion more than the FY22 enacted level. Funding for global health programs totals $10.5 billion, an increase of $680 million above the FY22 enacted level. The bill also provides $950 million for global health security supplemental funding and $5 billion in emergency COVID-19 response supplemental funding. A full summary of the bill is available here. GHC released a statement welcoming the small but essential increases to global health funding and emergency supplemental funding, while noting the proposed bill falls short of providing adequate assistance for many global health programs.
New UNAIDS report reveals millions are at risk as progress against AIDS falters
The new UNAIDS report, In Danger, launched ahead of the International AIDS Conference, noted that COVID-19 and other global crises have widened inequalities, strained resources, and stalled progress made against the HIV pandemic. Approximately 1.5 million new HIV infections occurred last year—over 1 million more than the global targets. The organization is calling for sufficient funding and urgent action to tackle the inequalities driving AIDS and to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.