ONE applauds record investment in defeating global COVID-19 pandemic in supplemental

WASHINGTON — The ONE Campaign released the below statement today applauding the record global response funding that’s in the COVID-19 emergency supplemental, an important step towards reaching the resources needed in order to help the world’s most vulnerable navigate the health, economic and humanitarian impacts of COVID-19. President Biden is expected to sign the bill today and hold a signing event tomorrow.

Tom Hart, North America executive director at The ONE Campaign:

“President Biden has stepped boldly into the breach with resources to fight the pandemic around the world. His request, supported by both sides of the aisle in Congress, bolsters multilateral health efforts as well as humanitarian assistance. Given the speed and agility of virus variants to spread across borders, this is good news not only for the world’s most vulnerable, but also for Americans. This funding is vital to shortening the lifespan of the pandemic, and providing low-income countries the resources they need to curb the health, economic and humanitarian impacts of COVID-19. 

“Coupled with this funding, we hope President Biden will immediately work to establish a framework and timeline for distributing excess vaccine doses while simultaneously vaccinating the US’ domestic population.”

BACKGROUND: 

The the emergency supplemental contains $11.55 billion for the US global response to COVID-19, including: 

• $800 million for International food aid
• $750 million for Centers for Disease Control global funding
• $204 million for the State Department to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus and Department of State operations. 
• $41 million for USAID to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and operations and maintenance
• $3.09 billion for USAID for international disaster relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction heath activities, and emergency food security needs 
• $930 million for economic and stabilization resulting from COVID
• $500 million for Migration and Refugee Assistance
• $580 million for priorities and objectives of UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19 through voluntary contributions to international organizations and programs administration by such organizations
• $8.675 billion as health programs:

• • $905 million for USAID for global health including a “contribution to a multilateral vaccine development partnership to support epidemic preparedness” 
  • $3.75 billion to Department of State “support programs for the prevention, treatment, and control of HIV/AIDS in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including to mitigate the impact on such programs from coronavirus and support recov13 ery from the impacts of the coronavirus
    • of which $3.5 billion goes to the Global Fund
    • of which $250 million to State Department

For more information, or to speak with an expert about this issue, contact Sean Simons at [email protected].

ONE is a bipartisan, global organization campaigning to end extreme poverty and preventable disease by 2030, so that everyone, everywhere can lead a life of dignity and opportunity. We urge governments to do more to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, and empower citizens to hold their governments to account. Read more at www.one.org