WASHINGTON (July 6, 2020) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today praised the U.S. House of Representative Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs for proposing restoration of U.S. government funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) and supplemental funding for the international response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The subcommittee will vote today to require the Trump Administration to send $200 million to WHO within 60 days of the bill becoming law and grant an additional $10 billion to fight the virus that has the entire world in its grip. The measure will fund the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)among other agencies.
“The clock is ticking and each day that goes by, the coronavirus infects more people and adds to its tragic death toll. The U.S. Congress and the Trump Administration must act urgently to get these resources where they’re needed most. The world desperately needs U.S. leadership to win the fight against this epidemic, said Michael Weinstein, president of AHF.
“AHF is encouraged that the measure would give $800 million in COVID-19 funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. AHF supports additional funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund. PEPFAR needs an additional $1.4 billion over two years to scale up the numbers of health care workers, to supply personal protective equipment and to scale up diagnostics and increased testing. Global Fund needs an additional $4 billion of two years for its COVID response mechanism to which low- and middle-income countries would apply for grants for the additional burden the COVID pandemic has placed on their health care infrastructure,” said John Hassell, national director of advocacy for AHF.
