Historical Trends in U.S. Funding for Global Health
Issue Brief
KFF analysis of OECD DAC CRS database, May 2021.
In FY 2013, sequestration occurred, resulting in cross the board cuts in funding to all global health program areas.
Represents U.S. regular appropriations only.
The Emergency Reserve Fund at USAID was created in the FY 2017 Omnibus bill to respond to contagious infectious disease outbreaks and would be made available if there is an “emerging health threat that poses severe threats to human health.” The only year the Emergency Reserve Fund received funding through regular appropriations was in FY 2017.
U.S. multilateral funding includes support to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Family Planning Agency (UNFPA), World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the TB Global Drug Facility.
While Congress provided funding for UNFPA each year between FY 2011 and FY 2021, President Trump invoked the Kemp-Kasten amendment to withhold funding from the organization (see KFF explainer on UNFPA funding & Kemp-Kasten amendment). President Biden has directed the U.S. Secretary of State to take the necessary steps to resume funding to UNFPA.
KFF. The U.S. Response to Ebola: Status of the FY2015 Emergency Ebola Appropriation; December 2015.
KFF. The Status of Funding for Zika: The President’s Request, Congressional Proposals, & Final Funding; October 2016.
KFF. Global Funding Across U.S. COVID-19 Supplemental Funding Bills; March 2021.
KFF. Donor Funding For Health in Low-& Middle-Income Countries, 2002-2013. November 2015. https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/report/donor-funding-for-health-in-low-middle-income-countries-2002-2013/.
Appendix
U.S. government, “Budget of the U.S. Government” webpage, October 2019. Accessed: https://www.usa.gov/budget. Congressional Research Service, “Introduction to the Federal Budget Process”, February 26, 2020. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Policy Basics: Introduction to the Federal Budget Process” webpage, April 2020. Accessed: https://www.cbpp.org/research/introduction-to-the-federal-budget-process