Foreign Policy: Trump Is Wrong to Retreat From the Global Fight Against AIDS
Mark P. Lagon, chief policy officer at Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

“…In addition to proposing cuts to our own bilateral health programs, the White House has proposed a striking cut to the Global Fund: [approximately] 17 percent less than what the U.S. had contributed the last several years. … there is a strong conservative case for backing these efforts to fight epidemics. Among interconnected investments in global health and international assistance, the Global Fund partnership is a great example of U.S. investment that serves a humane purpose while simultaneously advancing American interests through a model that works efficiently. First, the Global Fund has yielded an enormous return on investment, saving more than 20 million lives. … Second, the Fund should be seen as an investment rather than charity — producing tangible results and leveraging U.S. tax dollars. … Third, these global health investments are highly efficient. … Finally, the Fund is a uniquely successful public-private partnership. … Our investment in global health efficiently advances American global leadership, fosters economic growth, and saves millions of lives for [less than one] percent of the U.S. budget. If not programs like the Global Fund and PEPFAR, then what does deserve taxpayer money?” (7/12).