The White House released its budget blueprint on March 16, 2017 providing initial information on its budget request for FY18 (the full budget request is expected in May). While detail on funding levels for most global health programs is not specified, the blueprint does include total funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State and highlights some specific global health programs and related areas:

• USAID & State Department and Department of Treasury International Programs:
  • Total Funding: $39.1 billion, an $18.1 billion (-32%) cut from the FY17 Continuing Resolution (CR) level. This includes $25.6 billion for base activities ($10.1 billion or 28% below the FY17 CR) and $12.0 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) ($7.2 billion or 37% below the FY17 CR) at USAID and the State Department, as well as $1.5 billion for Department of Treasury International Programs ($803 million or 35% below FY17 CR).
  • PEPFAR: “Provides sufficient resources to maintain current commitments and all current patient levels on HIV/AIDS treatment under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).”
  • Global Fund: “The Budget also meets U.S. commitments to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria by providing 33 percent of projected contributions from all donors, consistent with the limit currently in law.”
  • Malaria: “[M]aintains funding for malaria programs.”
  • Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: “Provides sufficient resources on a path to fulfill the $1 billion U.S. pledge to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.”
  • International Organizations:
    • United Nations: “Reduces funding to the UN and affiliated agencies, including UN peacekeeping and other international organizations, by setting the expectation that these organizations rein in costs and that the funding burden be shared more fairly among members. The amount the U.S. would contribute to the UN budget would be reduced and the U.S. would not contribute more than 25 percent for UN peacekeeping costs.”
    • Multilateral Development Banks: “Reduces funding for multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, by approximately $650 million over three years compared to commitments made by the previous administration.”
  • Details on funding for other global health programs (e.g. tuberculosis, family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, etc.) was not included in the blueprint.

• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH): Total funding would be $25.9 billion, a $5.8 billion (-18%) cut from the FY17 CR level. Additionally, the blueprint eliminates funding for the Fogarty International Center (FIC).
  • Public health, emergency preparedness, and prevention programs: “[T]he Budget restructures similar HHS preparedness grants to reduce overlap and administrative costs and directs resources to States with the greatest need. The Budget also creates a new Federal Emergency Response Fund to rapidly respond to public health outbreaks, such as Zika Virus Disease. The Budget also reforms the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a new $500 million block grant to increase State flexibility and focus on the leading public health challenges specific to each State.”
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Eliminates funding for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.