U.S. Global Health Leadership, Funding Encourages Other Nations To Prioritize Public Health Policies, Spending

Washington Post: When the U.S. funds global health, other countries do too
Amy S. Patterson, professor of politics at University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn.

“…Public health experts say that cuts to U.S. global health funding … threaten the health of U.S. citizens, since pathogens such as Zika, influenza, and Ebola can cross borders. For other policymakers and advocates, it is morally unjustifiable to cut health programs that save millions of lives. My research on the politics of health in Africa shows another benefit. U.S.-funded programs interface with domestic politics to create incentives for governments to take action on health issues. … Global health programs — supported by U.S. and other donor countries — helped leaders to prioritize health … Global efforts establish the expectation that governments should promote health. Funding and technical assistance from Western donors, U.N. agencies, and NGOs empower national efforts. … Global health for all depends on getting these politics right” (3/21).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.