Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2020 Funding | NBN Statement

Washington, D.C., September 26, 2019 – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved Fiscal Year 2020 funding for State and Foreign Operations and related programs. The funding bill included increased appropriations for bilateral and multilateral programs seeking to alleviate the burden of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.

“Nothing But Nets is encouraged to see such strong bipartisan support from the Senate Appropriations Committee – including increased funds for both the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (Global Fund),” says Margaret Reilly McDonnell, Executive Director of United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign. “With this, Congress makes clear that the United States recognizes the tremendous lifesaving value of programs like the GF and PMI and continues to be a leader in the fight to end these three diseases.

“As we near the Sixth Replenishment,” McDonnell continued, “just two weeks away in Lyon, France, we are particularly thankful for the Committee’s support of the Global Fund’s goal to reach $14 billion over the next three years and to clearly convey a commitment to retain a 33% contribution to the Fund. We’re heartened that the additional resources for PMI means they will be able to reach more vulnerable populations worldwide and provide innovative interventions like next generation bed nets to overcome the increasing challenge of insecticide resistance. Malaria has proven to be a persistent and evolving threat capable of adapting to interventions. The resources recommended by the Senate Appropriations Committee today mean the U.S. can continue to fight back. 

“In addition to thanking Members of Congress for their leadership, Nothing But Nets also wants to express gratitude to our partners and grassroots champions across the United States, from Washington to Wyoming to Missouri to Florida, who effectively advocated to their elected officials about the importance of these increases for GF and PMI.” 

Approved in June 2019, the House of Representative’s recommended $1.56 billion for the first year of the Global Fund Replenishment, a level with which the Senate concurred. Further defined in the Senate bill today is the intention to retain the 33% match level for the United States over the life-span of the Replenishment cycle, critical to meeting the $14 billion target. Along with a major increase in domestic resources, $14 billion for the Global Fund would reduce the projected AIDS, TB and malaria deaths by nearly 50 percent, save an additional 16 million lives, avert 234 million infections, and encourage $19 in economic returns and health gains for every $1 invested.

Understanding the current issues facing malaria elimination, the Committee approved an increase in resources for the President’s Malaria Initiative. As antimalarial drug resistance and insecticide resistance continue to spread across Southeast Asia and Africa, respectively, it is critical for PMI to retain the ability to respond efficiently and cost-effectively. As such, the additional funding provided in the Senate bill will allow PMI to utilize a data-driven, targeted approach to providing innovative tools like next generation bed nets to those most vulnerable to insecticide resistance.

Over the coming weeks, the House of Representatives and Senate will negotiate the final funding levels for the Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations. This will include a determination for both the President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria – two programs that have helped save over 7 million lives from malaria and work toward a world in which no child dies of a mosquito bite.

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