Advocacy

Throughout the year, GHC led members in advocating with policymakers for robust U.S. global health budgets. Our efforts were instrumental in:

• Driving a 6.5% increase ($634 million) for FY22 Global Health Accounts
• Securing $75 million to address polio
• Mobilizing $700 million for global health security
• Ensuring a strong Replenishment pledge of $6 billion over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

GHC’s budget advocacy in 2022 helped to ensure FY23 global health budgets were maintained or increased:

• Including $10.56 billion for Global Health Programs at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development — an increase of $730 million above the FY22 enacted level and approximately in line with President Biden’s FY23 budget request
• The bill also provided increased or flat funding for all global health program areas compared to the FY22 enacted level
• The largest increases in FY23, compared to FY22, were for global health security ($200 million increase) and the Global Fund ($440 million increase)

In addition, GHC supported civil society’s advocacy efforts by:

• In its role as a non-state actor, GHC has been participating in the WHO Intergovernmental Negotiating Board providing recommendations and comments to the Zero Draft of the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Accord
• Hosting a two-day summit, Elevating Civil Society and Community Voices in Global Health, in partnership with the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism of UHC2030
• Issuing five Advocacy in Motion (AIM) grants to eligible attendees of the CSO Summit. These grants were intended to support CSO advocacy, health equity, and amplify the voices of local and regional organizations. Grant recipients used this funding to increase advocacy on issues ranging from gender equity, ensuring health insurance for vulnerable groups, as well as health/mental health access for marginalized communities.

To achieve these successes, GHC:

• Conducted educational briefings for Hill staff on topics including: ACT-A, the Global Financing Facility Health Workforce, health systems strengthening, global heath security, the Pandemic Fund, the Pandemic Accord, the amendment process for the International Health Regulations and the SIGHT Fund
• Held 55 Hill meetings with Members of Congress and/or their staff in both the House and Senate
• Conducted more than 15 meetings with Biden Administration officials across USAID, the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House National Security Council, and the Department of State
• Held meetings on the margins of the 77th U.N. General Assembly
• Convened five advocacy roundtables — and participated in 11 community roundtables — to ensure member alignment on messages, outreach, and requests
• Provided inputs and recommendations to the WHO Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) — and its predecessor, the Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies — to improve the IHR and make WHO stronger and more efficient
• Provided topical briefings for GHC members and Congressional staff