President Obama Unveils Global Health Initiative

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2009 -- Today, President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2010 budget, which includes $8.6 billion and $63 billion over six years for “a new comprehensive global health strategy.” In a statement, the President said “We cannot simply confront individual preventable illnesses in isolation. The world is interconnected, and that demands an integrated approach to global health.”

The president highlighted the Bush Administration’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Lantos-Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS Act as ways the U.S. is working to provided lifesaving medicines and prevention efforts to millions of people. President Obama added “But I also recognize that we will not be successful in our efforts to end deaths from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis unless we do more to improve health systems around the world, focus our efforts on child and maternal health, and ensure that best practices drive the funding for these programs.”

The statement explained the FY2010 budget will focus greater attention on broader health challenges, including family planning and child and maternal health, while also providing funding for HIV/AIDS and strengthening health systems.

President Obama noted that the new global health strategy will “support the promise of PEPFAR while increasing and enhancing our efforts to combat diseases that claim the lives of 26,000 children each day.” It also explains that the new approach can yield significant returns by investing in efforts to prevent millions of new HIV infections, save millions of lives by reducing mortality of mothers and children under five, avert millions of unintended pregnancies, and eliminate some neglected tropical diseases.

“We cannot fix every problem. But we have a responsibility to protect the health of our people, while saving lives, reducing suffering, and supporting the health and dignity of people everywhere. America can make a significant difference in meeting these challenges, and that is why my Administration is committed to act,” said President Obama in today’s statement.

The Administration’s funding, which represents more than 70 percent of global health funding, will enable the U.S. to leverage support from other nations and multilateral partners so that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be achieved.

In a statement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said "The President’s new global health initiative will be a crucial component of American foreign policy and a signature element of smart power. Bringing better health to people around the globe is an avenue to a more secure, stable, and prosperous world."

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