Efforts to fight HIV and tuberculosis globally would work with less money overall in fiscal year 2016 under the President’s newly released budget proposal.
The proposed budget would give the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief a half million dollars less to accomplish its goals in 2016 than it received for fiscal year 2015.
That means the program would receive $4.65 billion for 2016, of which $300 million would be set aside for the creation of a new “Impact Fund.” The fund is intended to be used to reinforce efforts of partner countries to meet the needs of specific geographic areas and populations with high HIV incidence.
The budget includes $1.107 billion for the Global Fund to the Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, the maximum contribution the U.S. can make to the international program. That is because, by law, the U.S. cannot contribute more than one-third of all funds raised, a total of $4.1 billion over a three year period. With $1.65 billion in the first year and $1.35 billion in the second year, this year’s allotment completes the cycle with the lowest amount.
Global tuberculosis responses would take a big hit in 2016 with the administration’s proposed $191 million for USAID’s global tuberculosis program. That is a proposed 19 percent cut — $45 million less than current funding levels.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Center for Global Health Policy, which produces this blog responded to the cut with a statement that said, “the White House fails to heed the lesson reinforced by the West Africa Ebola crisis over the last year, that an infectious disease neglected anywhere poses perils everywhere.”
An analysis of the budget request for all global health programs from the Kaiser Family Foundation can be found here.
The budget includes a slight increase for the National Institutes of Health with $31.3 billion proposed, of which $3.1 billion is proposed for HIV/AIDS research – an increase of $100 million over FY 2015 levels. The Administration also proposes doubling funding for combating antibiotic resistance with a proposed $1.2 billion to be spread out over the NIH, CDC, and other agencies.
Source: Science Speaks