In this Huffington Post opinion piece, singer and actor Mandy Moore writes that during her travels as a PSI ambassador, “sometimes the disconnect I see is truly striking: people can get cold Coca Cola, but far too infrequently malaria drugs; most own mobile phones, but don’t have equal access to pre-natal care.” Noting that technology has helped the U.S. and Europe improve health standards and therefore strengthen their economies, she writes, “It’s simple and logical, but to grow economies, the basic building block of health is necessary.”

“When our country invests in global health, we are doing the right thing. … We invest less than one percent of the federal budget in strengthening the health and economic development in other countries, and we get incredible results,” Moore says, concluding, “The world is much smaller than it used to be. America’s general store isn’t around the corner anymore, it’s now in India and Nigeria and Brazil. Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside of the United States. Fifty percent of our exports … go to developing world countries. It makes sense: healthy, productive people create positive economic momentum, and that’s good for everyone” (10/4).