The Importance of Resuming Congressionally Approved Foreign Assistance Programs, such as the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)

The Administration announced in January that it would conduct a 90-day review of America’s foreign aid investments, which is the prerogative of any new Administration.

This review appears to have come to an abrupt and early end. Numerous USAID funds and programs such as the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) have received notices from the U.S. government that their funding has been terminated, in many cases despite prior Administration determinations that this same work was “lifesaving” and should continue.

These programs have enjoyed generations of support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress, in part because they make our country safer, stronger and more prosperous.

Among the work terminated are programs, such as the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), that are critical to our health, safety, security and prosperity. PMI has played a pivotal role in significantly reducing malaria cases and deaths worldwide. Specifically, PMI-supported countries have seen a 48% decline in malaria deaths and a 29% decline in malaria cases over the past two decades. As shared in their 18th Annual Report to Congress, PMI helps protect 700 million people annually across 30 countries from malaria.

“Halting the work of the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative will endanger the lives of young children, pregnant women and families around the world,” says United to Beat Malaria’s Executive Director Margaret McDonnell. “It will increase the threat of infection to Americans working, traveling, and serving overseas, and the potential for malaria outbreaks here in the U.S.”

One of the recently terminated PMI-funded programs would have provided lifesaving innovations like bed nets, diagnostics and treatment for 53 million people, mostly children in Africa. Recent analysis from the Malaria Atlas Project projects that a halt of PMI-funded programs for 90 days would result in 1.7 million additional cases and 17,000 additional deaths. A freeze for 1 year would result in 14.9 million additional cases and 107,000 additional deaths.

Restoring these programs ensures a healthier, more stable and peaceful world and preserves our country’s leadership at a time when our geopolitical rivals are eager to supplant American influence.

We urge Congressional leaders to work with the Administration to reverse the termination of these programs and resume the disbursement of Congressionally appropriated foreign assistance funds, consistent with their Constitutional authority.