NPR: Trump Takes Office At A Pivotal Moment For Foreign Aid
“…The world’s wealthy countries have, since 2000, been part of a historic partnership with poor countries to eliminate poverty and roll back diseases. … Will Donald Trump commit his administration to being part of this global effort? … The stakes are high because the U.S. role in dealing with these health and development issues has been ‘outsized,’ says Raj Kumar, president and editor-in-chief of Devex … But it’s more than that. U.S officials are also vigorously involved in setting the agenda on global health and development. … ‘Global health really became part of what the U.S. government did in development,’ says Jennifer Kates, vice president and director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. And while spending on global health has not gone up considerably under Obama, says Kates, the fact that ‘it’s been protected at a pretty constant level’ in the midst of all the budget battles between Obama and Republican leaders of Congress speaks volumes…” (Aizenman, 11/16).