World Health Day: A Reminder of Resources Required to Meet Global Health Goals

*This post, authored by FCAA Executive Director, John Barnes, originally appeared on the Morning Consult website.

The focus of World Health Day — taking place on April 7 — is universal health coverage. It’s a reminder to global and national leaders to take action to ensure that all people have affordable access to quality health services.

Key to achieving this goal is robust and highly effective health financing structures, of which the Global Fund is an excellent example.

The Global Fund raises and invests nearly $4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in communities most in need. It’s helped save 27 million lives and provided prevention, treatment and care services to hundreds of millions of people. As a collective of grantmakers funding the fight against HIV/AIDS, Funders Concerned About AIDS, knows well how critically important the Global Fund is and how effective its resources have been in fueling progress.

But continued progress is far from assured.

Without increased investment, we run the risk of backsliding. HIV infection rates remain far too high, with 1.8 million people still infected each year. Particularly vulnerable populations, such as adolescent girls and young women in Africa, are at disproportionate risk.

The United States has a history of longstanding leadership in the battle against HIV/AIDS. As the 2020 appropriations process unfolds, it’s essential that this support continues through a contribution of at least $1.56 billion to the Global Fund.

Since its inception, the Global Fund has rightfully enjoyed strong bipartisan support. This good will is more necessary than ever, given alarming proposed cuts to global health programs in the president’s budget. The White House budget outlines a 29 percent cut to U.S. contributions to the Global Fund, a $3.3 billion cap on our three-year contributions ($1 billion below the last cycle), and a far-more limited ability to match other funders.

Read the full article here.