PATH concerned about proposed cuts in the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024

Yesterday, the House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee passed their proposed State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations (SFOPs) bill for fiscal year 2024 (FY24), which would impose dramatic cuts in funding to global health programs across departments and agencies. Cutting the foreign assistance budget by nearly one-third, the House SFOPs bill directly threatens decades of progress against some of the world’s deadliest diseases and stymes America’s ability to respond to future global health threats.

“The past few years demonstrated just how quickly global health crises transcend international borders and that US investments in lifesaving global health programs are integral to the country’s ability to respond to challenges that put the health of people around the world—including Americans—at risk. At a time when it’s never been clearer that international health challenges require sustained bilateral and multilateral investment to drive solutions, now is not the time for the United States to falter in its commitments. We urge Congress to protect decades of progress and bipartisan support for lifesaving global health programming and to reject these proposed cuts,” said Heather Ignatius, PATH’s Chief of External Affairs.

Among the cuts, PATH is alarmed to see that the Committee did not propose a budget line for global health security programming, dictating that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) draw funding from previous investments in global health without allocating necessary new funds for FY24. This would leave USAID’s vital global health security programs in partner countries underfunded by nearly 50 percent. Cutting this funding so severely will jeopardize the critical programs dedicated to building health security capacity, reducing transmission of diseases between humans and animals, training health workers, and strengthening disease surveillance and national laboratory systems around the globe.

With one notable exception amongst the cuts, PATH commends the Committee’s directive to USAID for an additional $50 million in funding to support the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which works to advance development and global access to new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases. “PATH’s experts have long advocated for innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges,” noted Ignatius. “The Committee’s directive for increased investment in CEPI demonstrates the important role the US government plays in driving global health innovations critical to preventing future pandemics. However, while we applaud the investment in CEPI, this funding alone will be insufficient if Congress does not also sustain US leadership through investments in global health security. If we are to break the cycle of panic and neglect that has characterized the response to global health crises in recent years, Congress must continue to invest in strengthening the global health security systems capable of preventing the next pandemic.”

PATH is also concerned about the proposed cuts to USAID’s maternal and child health core funding as progress in maternal health outcomes have stagnated in many regions around the world, with the latest estimates showing a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth every two minutes. Maternal and child health care programming has long experienced bipartisan support as one of the most cost-effective and lifesaving investments the United States can make. US investments made bilaterally through USAID and through multilateral institutions like UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are designed to be complementary and have been instrumental in advancing maternal and child health outcomes for decades. While PATH appreciates Congress’ increased commitment to Gavi, it has come at the expense of core maternal and child health funding, which is critical to strengthen the systems that Gavi relies on for full impact. We call on Congress to ensure funding for Gavi does not come at the expense of core maternal and child health funding.

In response to the bill, PATH joined over 70 organizations as part of the Global Health Council in a letter to the Committee expressing concern for the drastic cuts which undermine US national security interests. PATH will continue to advocate alongside leading humanitarian, development, and global health organizations calling upon Congress to protect vital US global health funding in FY24.