President's Budget and Global Health Initiative Signal Renewed U.S. Commitment to Family Planning and Reproductive Health
On May 7th President Obama released the Administration’s federal budget request for FY 2010. The request proposes spending $593 million on bilateral and multilateral family planning and reproductive health assistance, which is a $48 million (9%) increase above current funding levels. Although the request falls short of the $1 billion U.S. investment necessary to address the unmet need for family planning worldwide, this modest increase is encouraging in light of the very difficult budgetary climate and signals the Administration’s commitment to enhancing U.S. support for these life-saving programs. The broad coalition of organizations supporting the $1 billion campaign will continue to advocate for the U.S. to scale up to the $1 billion funding level as soon as possible.
Power now lies in the hands of Congress to determine the final funding levels for FY 2010. If Congress approves the $593 million proposed by the President for FY 2010, it would represent the largest amount of funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs—not accounting for inflation —ever provided by the U.S. It is also notable that the $593 million request includes a $50 million U.S. contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Obama Administration restored funding to the UNFPA after the Bush Administration had refused to fund it.
In a significant development, the Obama Administration also highlighted its commitment to family planning and reproductive health in its recent announcement of a new “Global Health Initiative,”which calls for increasing funding on global health programs to a total level of $63 billion over the next six years. Of this amount, $12 billion would be devoted to family planning, maternal and child health, and neglected tropical diseases. The remaining funds, $51 billion, would go towards PEPFAR programs which address the treatment, care, and prevention of HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
In what represents a notable and welcome policy shift, the President’s statement announcing the Initiative calls for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to global health, saying “The world is interconnected, and that demands an integrated approach to global health.” The Initiative rightly recognizes family planning and reproductive health care services’ contribution to addressing public health challenges worldwide and aims to bring us closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The policy also reflects the Administration’s belief in “smart power” and the essential role that cost-effective health care initiatives, including family planning, can have in creating more peaceful and stable countries.
While the details of Global Health Initiative’s budget levels over the next six years have yet to be released, the Initiative has the potential to dramatically increase funding for international family planning and reproductive health. As always, PAI will continue to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that increased funding and better policies for family planning and reproductive health remain a priority in the budget process and in the development of the Administration’s comprehensive Global Health Initiative.
