On Feb. 1, President Obama released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget to the American people and it included a $95 million increase over FY 2010, totaling $680 million for President’s Malaria Initiative and U.S. Agency for International Development.
When combining other programs that impact malaria, such as research and technical assistance at the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control, U.S. malaria budget totals $829 million. While still falling short of U.S. malaria commitments, this increase is encouraging.
The $95 million “plus-up” is a sign that the Administration values the impact of malaria programs and remains committed to addressing this leading cause of child deaths worldwide even when times are tough. This message was reiterated during a call I had with White House officials regarding the global health budget more broadly earlier today.
These investments are just the type we need right now – saving lives using some of the most cost-effective and simple solutions. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure we are getting the best bang for our buck when spending precious federal dollars. Malaria programs deliver on that investment.
The funding is well short of the commitment to providing at least a $1 billion a year for malaria. But Monday’s budget release represents a positive trend.
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