New report prescribes recommendations to US Congress to restore US leadership in global health

The ceasefire in budget battles on Capitol Hill is good news for global health, but is the budget deal made by policymakers enough to handle the surplus of diseases in need of US investments and leadership? That’s one question that will be answered in a new report to be released at a briefing on Capitol Hill.

A statement made available to HealthNewsNG.com by the Global Health Technologies revealed the report will highlight the cumulative effect of budget constraints on the fight against threats like AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and other diseases that disproportionally affect the developing world. It will include specific recommendations for the US government to strengthen its legacy in global health research. At the event, a panel of global health leaders will offer a frank assessment of whether the US can maintain its lead in the fight against infectious diseases.

 US support has been essential to preventing and treating diseases that continue to burden a large portion of the world’s population. Among other things, it helped drive the development of the first effective treatments against HIV/AIDS, a vaccine for meningitis A, and a rapid test for detecting tuberculosis. And US investments have helped move scientists close to critical breakthroughs, such as new drugs for TB and malaria; a microbicide that could protect millions of women from HIV; and new insecticides to prevent the spread of diseases like dengue fever, Chagas, and other neglected tropical diseases.

The Global Health Technologies Coalition, a coalition of nearly 30 influential organizations—including groups that develop vaccines, drugs, and other global health tools and technologies—is concerned that US investments have been faltering, just as many of these lifesaving tools appear to be approaching the finish line. They suggest that, as the world’s largest player in global health R&D, US policymakers should ensure that the US keeps its edge in global health research by strongly supporting funding and policies to create new tools that save lives.