Ahead of Biden’s Budget Proposal, A New KFF Analysis Takes a Closer Look at Historical Trends in the Global Health Budget

On May 28^th, President Biden will release his first detailed budget proposal, covering the fiscal year starting in October 2021. As the largest global health donor in the world, the new budget proposal will provide a glimpse into what the Biden administration will be prioritizing for global health. In preparation for the budget release, KFF released a new brief looking at the historical trends in US funding for global health.

Since FY 2001, US global health funding provided through regular appropriations increased by almost $10 billion. However, most of the increase ($8.3 billion) occurred between FY 2001 – FY 2011, largely due to the creation of PEPFAR, the Global Fund, and the President’s Malaria Initiative. Since FY 2011, funding increases for global health have been more modest ($1.4 billion). In addition, while most areas (TB, malaria, etc.) increased over the last decade, funding for PEPFAR remained stagnant and family planning and reproductive health funding decreased.

Within the last decade, the US has also provided $11.8 billion in emergency supplemental funding in response to infectious diseases, with 90% of that funding coming within the last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Biden administration has already taken steps to bolster US global health engagement, largely in response to COVID-19, the release of his first full budget request for FY 2022 could provide an important window into the administration’s further priorities for global health.