NBN Statement: Congress Passes H.R. 1865, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020

Washington, D.C., December 19^th, 2019 – This week, the House of Representatives and Senate voted on a package outlining the budget for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). This $1.4 trillion spending deal includes increased funding for bilateral and multilateral programs seeking to alleviate the burden of malaria globally, such as the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (Global Fund) and key UN agencies that are working on the frontlines.

“These historic levels of funding are a game-changer for partners working around the world to defeat malaria ,” says Margaret Reilly McDonnell, Executive Director of United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign. “We are thrilled to see continued such strong- and in fact stepped-up- bipartisan support in Congress for these lifesaving programs as we  are at acritical juncture in the battle against these deadly but preventable diseases. As nations strive and work towards malaria control and elimination, strong political will, leadership and funding are more important than ever.”

The package includes a $1.56 billion allocation for the Global Fund, a $210 million increase over FY’19 enacted levels, reinforcing the United States’ commitment to the 33% contribution to the Fund. Historic pledges from the United States and numerous new donors, helped the Global Fund raise $14 billion in its sixth replenishment, which will help save an estimated 16 million lives from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria over the next three years.

Furthermore, the President’s Malaria Initiative received a $15 million boost, raising its budget to $770 million. McDonnell noted, “PMI continues to drive progress in the areas where malaria hits the hardest. With these additional resources, PMI will be better equipped to reach the most vulnerable populations and to strategically scale up, target, and deploy innovative tools to overcome challenges such as insecticide resistance. Today, Congress makes clear that the United States recognizes the tremendous impact of programs like the Global Fund and PMI, by continuing our longstanding role as a leader in the global heath community.”

The FY20 Omnibus also includes strong funding for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, which funds U.S. assessments for the UN Regular Budget and UN specialized agencies that operate on the frontlines of global health and humanitarian challenges. It provides significant funding for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, which was notably zeroed-out in the President’s FY20 budget request.  IO&P is an important source of voluntary contributions to a range of UN agencies engaged in critical security, humanitarian, and development assistance abroad including UNICEF, UNDP, and UN Women.

Margaret concluded, “In addition to thanking Members of Congress for their leadership, Nothing But Nets also wants to express sincere appreciation for our partners and grassroots champions across the United States who regularly share their passion and commitment to ending malaria with their elected officials. Without their ongoing advocacy, we would not have been able to achieve this important milestone.”