The Hill: Leading with our hearts and minds
Eric P. Goosby, professor at the University of California, San Francisco and the U.N. secretary general’s special envoy on tuberculosis

“…It is imperative that those who run and advocate for global health programs prove that money invested in providing assistance to those who are suffering from deadly infectious diseases is being spent well. In fact, I believe that Congress and the new administration have an obligation to continue to hold our feet to the fire. … At the same time, we must all take a step back and remember why the United States embraced the challenge of tackling global health in the first place. … In introducing PEPFAR during his 2003 State of the Union Address, President [George W.] Bush declared that ‘we must all remember our calling, as a blessed country, is to make the world better.’ … A 2015 Bipartisan Policy Center Report concluded that PEPFAR made the countries it serves stronger, more stable, more prosperous, and more capable. … Similarly, our efforts to combat tuberculosis and malaria have helped restore economic and political stability across the globe — resulting in strengthening our own security here at home. … Like our bilateral programs, public-private partnerships such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, have produced significant results in terms of lives saved and economic benefits. … While the United States’ bipartisan commitment to global health programs has made tremendous strides, we are still leaving many people behind. … And these are the very same people who could likely bear the brunt of President Trump’s rumored 37 percent cut to the State Department’s budget. … [Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson must fight for critical programs. And Congress must once again stand strong and invest in global health. Failure to do so could set us back for generations to come” (3/6).