Devex: Opinion: Hearing the true message of Trump’s proposed budget
Karl Hofmann, president and CEO of Population Services International

“…Even when foreign aid is robustly funded, policy shifts can spell big problems for recipients and millions living in resource-poor settings. … Instead of relying so heavily on aid, we need to focus on addressing and fixing market failures in developing countries, designing programs for better cost recovery and financial sustainability from the start, unlocking national government health budgets, and delivering basic health care at an affordable price. … Improving health markets and thoughtfully reducing the need for government donor subsidy actually puts accessible health for those living in developing countries on more stable footing. And the needy are no longer negatively impacted by policy vagaries and budgetary fantasies of this or any future U.S. administration. … Trump’s budget may be just the wake-up call the development community needs. Charting a path away from reliance on donor subsidy for our work is a healthy move…” (6/6).