Washington, D.C., March 11 – Malaria No More applauds the United States Congress for passing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes nearly $11 billion in vital international affairs funding for the United States to lead the global COVID-19 response and recovery. President Biden signed the bill into law Thursday afternoon.
This legislation includes more than $3 billion in funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, as well as $3 billion for USAID to mobilize the unparalleled capacities of the United States Government, including the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). This funding will ensure we increase diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, bolster essential community and front-line health workers, and provide life-saving PPE and other commodities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“U.S. funding continues to deliver the greatest value by investing in proven global health programs, pandemic preparedness, and humanitarian assistance that will accelerate the end of this pandemic, better prepare the world for the next one, and help low-income countries recover from the disruptions caused by COVID-19,” said Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More. “We hope this funding will also ensure life-saving malaria programs implemented by PMI continue taking fevers out of the health system across Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and surge community health workers, thereby creating more health capacity for pandemic response.”
Investments in PMI and the Global Fund save hundreds of thousands of lives every year and advance global health security by providing scalable, proven, and cost-effective pathways to rapidly identify fevers, test and diagnose infections, treat disease, and expand access to care. According to our recent report, Leave No Fever Unresolved, developed in partnership with the UN Foundation, 15 years of U.S. and global investments in the malaria campaign have saved 7.6 million lives and prevented 1.5 billion cases of malaria, and significantly improved maternal and child health. The report highlights that these efficient and equitable investments save lives from both malaria and COVID-19, while also creating the capacities to prevent and respond to the next potential pandemic.
“We are extremely grateful for President Biden’s leadership on this bill and for including critical international funding in the American Rescue Plan,” said Josh Blumenfeld, Managing Director of Global Policy and Advocacy at Malaria No More. “We look forward to working with the Congress and the Biden Administration to ensure that the United States leads a robust, global COVID-19 response that leverages existing investments and programs such as the malaria campaign to save millions of lives and increase health security at home and abroad.”
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For more information or interview requests, please contact Michal Fishman at michal.fishman@malarianomore.org.
About Malaria No More
Malaria No More envisions a world where no one dies from a mosquito bite. More than a decade into our mission, our work has contributed to historic progress toward this goal. Now, we’re mobilizing the political commitment, funding, and innovation required to achieve what would be one of the greatest humanitarian accomplishments – ending malaria within our generation. For more information, visit www.malarianomore.org.
