Global health must remain a strategic imperative for the U.S.

Funding for global health programs that address tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health through the Department of State and USAID and other lifesaving health programs absolutely must be maintained to ensure that decades’ worth of U.S. investments are not wasted. 

Cutting billions in congressionally appropriated funds from global health and development programs would completely and dangerously unravel health infrastructure in resource-limited countries that the U.S. has spent decades building, disrupt supply chains for lifesaving medicines and medical supplies, and impede the early identification of infectious diseases outbreaks across borders, substantially increasing the risk for deadly outbreaks to spread rapidly to the United States.   

Reports that the White House and Senate majority will amend their proposed $9 billion rescissions package to exclude cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is a testament to the strong bipartisan support for this highly effective program. While we agree that preserving PEPFAR funding is crucial, the infrastructure and other programs that support its implementation must also be saved from funding rescissions for it to be fully effective.

IDSA and HIVMA urge Congress to reject all proposed rescissions and continue our country’s long-standing investments in global health as a critical strategic imperative for national security, economic stability and American leadership.

— Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP — President, IDSA
— Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH, FIDSA — Chair, HIVMA 

About IDSA and HIVMA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America is a global community of 13,000 clinicians, scientists and public health experts working together to solve humanity’s smallest and greatest challenges, from tiny microbes to global outbreaks. Rooted in science, committed to health equity and driven by curiosity, our compassionate and knowledgeable members safeguard the health of individuals, our communities and the world by advancing the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Within IDSA, the HIV Medicine Association is a community of health care professionals who advance a comprehensive and humane response to the HIV pandemic, informed by science and social justice. Visit idsociety.org and hivma.org to learn more.