News: Announcement

For the third consecutive year, the Trump administration has proposed significant cuts to critical government programs that advance innovation to improve the health of millions of people in need around the world, including Americans. The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) is deeply concerned by President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget proposal. If enacted, the funding reductions proposed would undermine the United States’ legacy of global leadership in the development of vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other technologies for neglected diseases and conditions that affect the world’s most vulnerable people.The proposal cuts funding to global health research and development (R&D) at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). If enacted, groundbreaking research and the creation of new tools to address the world’s greatest global health challenges would slow or stop. These cuts would also weaken global health security, undermining our ability to prevent and contain disease outbreaks. For example:The elimination of HIV/AIDS research funding at USAID in the proposal would threaten progress towards game-changing innovations to prevent HIV/AIDS. As the administration proposes bold goals to counter the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, it is critical to continue supporting R&D for new approaches to defeat AIDS in America and beyond. This is just one example of this proposal’s potential impact on global health R&D in the International Affairs account—overall, the proposed 28 percent cut to global health programs at USAID and the State Department threatens decades of lifesaving progress and runs counter to our international interests.Reduced funding for CDC’s global health activities at the Center for Global Health (CGH) and the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) would further constrain an agency already under-resourced to address the magnitude and range of health challenges we face. While GHTC welcomes the administration’s continued commitment to and investment in global health security efforts, this increased funding should not come at the expense of other vital CGH programs that support R&D of technologies and other activities to detect, prevent, and respond to health threats. Likewise, proposed reductions to NCEZID programs that develop interventions to combat infectious diseases run counter to the administration’s global health security goals and will directly compromise domestic and international preparedness.The proposed cut of more than US$4.5 billion to NIH would erode America’s leadership in medical research—leadership Congress has bolstered by increasing funding for NIH by $5 billion over the past three years. Disproportionate cuts to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Fogarty International Center at NIH would jeopardize the development of new tools for global health threats like Ebola and undermine research collaborations with other countries who serve as key partners and allies in mitigating global disease threats.While the proposal’s cuts to global health programs at USAID, the State Department and essential research activities at CDC and NIH are worrisome, GHTC was pleased to see steady funding for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and a funding boost for the Food and Drug Administration included in the budget request. These entities play important roles in the global health R&D ecosystem, and GHTC appreciates the administration’s recognition of their contributions.“The United States is the global leader in research and development of new tools for the world’s most pressing health challenges—benefiting Americans at home and communities around the world,” said Jamie Bay Nishi, GHTC’s Director. “Cutting funding for global health R&D programs at USAID, CDC, and NIH would undermine decades of patient investment in R&D which is on the cusp of delivering ground-breaking new tools to prevent, treat, and respond to the most pressing global health challenges and health emergencies. We have seen past budget cuts shelve promising research on tools for threats like Ebola and cannot afford to be caught empty-handed for the next health crisis.”Strong congressional support for global health R&D has maintained and increased funding for this lifesaving work despite past proposals for cuts by the Trump administration, and we urge Congress to continue its history of bipartisan support for global health and medical research and for a third year in a row reject this short-sighted budget proposal.

G20 health and finance ministers urged to bring about the necessary marriage between the wealth and the health of nations A global coalition of charities, businesses, product development partnerships and academics have come together to say the G20 is failing to meet today’s urgent health challenges and this will only be solved if heads of government and finance ministers take charge to stop this severe threat to the global economy as well as to humanity. The G20 Health and Development Partnership – representing 21 leading global organisations and more than 1000 collaborators – will today urge G20 heads of government and finance ministers to join health ministers in addressing the growing disease burden before it is too late. It is predicted that the number of deaths in the G20 countries from non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, heart diseases and diabetes will double by 2030 if urgent steps are not taken now. Together with the fact that tuberculosis still remains the number one killer globally, the rise of drug resistance amongst infectious diseases pose an existential threat to society. The report, which is being launched in the UK parliament today (Tuesday 5th March) calls on G20 heads of government and finance ministers to ‘take ownership’ of this issue similar to their efforts combatting climate change - rather than just leave it to health ministers. The economic consequences in low- and middle income countries of the increasing disease burden is unsustainable if not addressed. The partnership is presenting the report to the heads of government finance and health ministers in advance of the joint G20 health and finance ministers meeting in Japan this June. Lord Jim O’Neill, chair of the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House London, said: “This report by the G20 Health and Development Partnership is an appeal to G20 finance ministers to remove the silo walls around health care to see what can be done to make a link between the health and the wealth of our nations. “It sets out to support the need to invest in human capital in terms of global health. It is a holistic approach that blends economics and health so that the wealth and the health of nations are united in a new priority for government, society and the economic actors in the rest of the century. “I would like the G20 health and finance ministers to bring about the necessary marriage between the wealth and the health of nations.” Alan Donnelly, Convener of the G20 Health and Development Partnership and Executive Chairman of Sovereign Sustainability and Development, said: “The richest nations of the world will miss their own health global goals unless governments recognise the existential nature of the threat, make it a priority for leaders, and develop new partnerships because government funding isn’t going to fix this alone. “This is no longer just an issue for health ministers, it is now an issue for heads of government and for finance ministers because of the threat to the global economy as well as to humanity. “The G20 Health and Development Partnership, which emerged during the course of the German presidency in 2017, works to ensure that G20 countries are coordinating their health innovation strategy to tackle the growing burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases globally. “This year the G20 can set in motion steps to examine new ways of funding innovation in health and encourage the establishment of mechanisms that will help to fund the diagnostics, vaccines and medicines that are so urgently required globally.”

Update: On Thursday, January 3, 2019, the President signed this legislation into law. WASHINGTON, DC—The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) applauds yesterday’s Senate passage of the Global Health Innovation Act, a bipartisan bill to support efforts by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop affordable, appropriate technologies to advance the health of people in the world’s poorest places. The bill, which has already passed the House of Representatives, now heads to the President’s desk where he is expected to sign it into law.“Investments in research and development are critical to tackling the world’s greatest global health challenges and building a safer, healthier world for all,” said Emily Conron, US Policy and Advocacy Officer at GHTC. “Passage of this bill is a strong endorsement of the importance of continued US leadership in global health research and will help USAID continue to build upon and maximize the impact of its activities in this space.”This legislation, long championed by GHTC, will enhance transparency and oversight to provide a clearer picture of USAID’s strategic engagement in health research and development (R&D) as part of the agency’s broader mission to empower partner nations with the tools needed to solve their health and development challenges. Specifically, the bill directs USAID to report annually to Congress on its health R&D activities, progress, and impact and articulate how the agency is working in coordination with other US agencies, donors, and through public-private partnership to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of programs.For decades, USAID has supported the development and scale up of low-cost, high-impact technologies to address the health needs of vulnerable populations worldwide. The agency has helped advance 22 new lifesaving global health technologies approved since 2000 and is supporting 36 promising products now in late-stage development.The Global Health Innovation Act was introduced by Representatives Albio Sires (D-NJ) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL). It passed the House of Representatives in January 2018 before progressing without amendment to the Senate.“GHTC would like to thank Representatives Sires and Diaz-Balart and the many other members who supported this legislation and who have continued to make global health research a bipartisan priority,” said Conron.

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) yesterday honored Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) at its second annual Innovating for Impact Awards. GHTC also recognized the partnership that developed and introduced improved child-friendly tuberculosis (TB) medicines, making these transformative treatments available to children in need worldwide. This event, which celebrates US policymakers and partnerships driving progress in global health innovation, was hosted with support from Johnson & Johnson.In remarks at the event, Senator Blunt voiced his support for continued US efforts to find treatments and cures for the world’s deadliest diseases. “We’ve seen real crises in the last few years…Ebola in 2014…Zika in 2015—and suddenly the globe gets really small. Suddenly there are no borders or barriers in a global health crisis, and we’ve been reminded too often of that. You just simply can’t separate global health and American health,” said Blunt in accepting his award. Senator Blunt, who is Chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, received a Congressional Champion Award in recognition of his leadership in protecting and expanding funding for agencies engaged in global health research and development (R&D), including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.View video honoring Senator Roy Blunt.Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who is ranking member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, was also recognized with a Congressional Champion Award for her leadership in championing medical research funding and in galvanizing action and new funding to respond to the Ebola and Zika epidemics. Caitlin Peruccio, a member of Rep. DeLauro’s staff, accepted the award on behalf of the Congresswoman who was not able to attend due to House leadership elections yesterday evening. “The questions before us are not just about policy, they are about our values…We cannot ignore the suffering of those beyond our border or pretend their fortunes are somehow separate from our own. Global health must be an American priority,” Peruccio said, reading the Congresswoman’s prepared remarks.View video honoring Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.GHTC presented the Partnership Award to Dr. Mel Spigelman, president and chief executive officer of TB Alliance, who accepted the award on behalf of the many partners who supported the development and roll out of improved TB medicines designed specifically for children. This partnership, which was led by TB Alliance—with contributions from Australian Aid, Irish Aid, Unitaid, the US Agency for International Development, UK Aid, and other partners—produced new formulations of TB treatments that are appropriately dosed for children, dissolvable in water, and fruit-flavored for palatability. Now available in 86 countries and counting, these affordable medicines have transformed the treatment of TB for children and their families around the world.“On behalf of TB Alliance and our partners, we are honored to receive this award. We are proud to have had the opportunity to improve the treatment landscape for children, who are perhaps the most vulnerable of those afflicted with TB. Our ultimate goal of ending the TB epidemic will require both new tools and collaborative approaches; we remain dedicated to advancing TB drug research, development and delivery with our partners worldwide, so we can one day realize a world in which every person with TB can be treated with an affordable, safe, short, and effective therapy,” said Dr. Spigelman.View video honoring child-friendly TB medicines.Dr. Spigelman was joined onstage by Cheri Vincent, Chief of the TB Division at the US Agency for International Development, and Dr. Anna Laura Ross, Technical Manager of Strategy at Unitaid, for a short dialogue discussing their organizations’ contributions to develop and bring these child-friendly TB treatments to market.Attendees also heard from Kojo Nnamdi, host of NPR WAMU's The Kojo Nnamdi Show, who emceed the dinner, and Dr. Alan Tennenberg, Chief Medical Officer of Global Public Health at Johnson & Johnson who spoke about the power of multisector partnerships in advancing global health innovation.“GHTC is thrilled to honor Senator Blunt, Congresswoman DeLauro, and the developers of child-friendly TB medicines with our Innovating for Impact Awards,” said Jamie Bay Nishi, director of GHTC. “US leadership in global health R&D has helped fuel tremendous progress in generating new cures and vaccines to fight the world’s deadliest diseases, and we’re so delighted to recognize the outstanding work of our honorees who helped make this progress possible.”Global health R&D is vital to conquering the world’s greatest health challenges and to building a safer, healthier world for all. Now in its second year, the Innovating for Impact Awards celebrates US commitment to global health R&D and honors the multisector partnerships and policymakers helping to transform breakthrough scientific research into lifesaving technologies for unmet global health challenges.