United States’ House Appropriations Committee approves increased funding for Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment

Author:

Aidspan Staff

Article Type:

Article Number: 9

If enacted, proposed $1.56 billion will be first increase from the US to the Global Fund in six years

ABSTRACT The United States’ House Appropriations CMain decisions at Global Fund’s 41st Board meeting include updated allocations methodology and restricted financial contributionsommittee approved increased funding for the Global Fund, of $1.56 billion for 2020, which if enacted would maintain the U.S.’s share of Global Fund funding at 33%. This amount is exactly what the Global Fund, health advocates, civil society, and other supporters have been working towards, in order to achieve the Global Fund’s minimum target of $14 billion for the Sixth Replenishment.

On May 16, the day the Global Fund’s 41st Board Meeting concluded, the United States’ House Appropriations Committee passed its fiscal year 2020 funding bill for State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) including funding for the Global Fund to $1.56 billion, a $210-million increase.

This is a vindication of the widespread objections to the President’s budget, released in March 2019, which proposed a $1-billion cut in funding to the Global Fund for the next Replenishment period.

The $1.56 billion, which is what the Global Fund and Friends of the Global Fight had been advocating for, in order to maintain the U.S. share to the Global Fund at 33%, would be the “first installment” from the United States for the Global Fund’s 2020-2022 Sixth Replenishment cycle, a news release from Friends of the Global Fight said.

The release applauded the House action and the ongoing efforts and leadership of Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Hal Rogers. Chris Collins, President of Friends of the Global Fight, said, “We are grateful to them for rejecting the wholesale retreat on global health investment proposed by the Administration. This bill is a strong signal to donors around the world that America will play its crucial leadership role in a successful Global Fund Replenishment this year.”

The same bill allocates funding to United States bilateral health programs, including $5.93 billion for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), $755 million for the President’s Malaria Initiative, and $310 million for USAID TB programs.

Read the full press release from Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.