Cutting U.S. global health funding would slow progress, hurt development in other countries

A Minnesota Daily editorial states that a proposed nine percent cut in U.S. global health program funding "would drastically slow ... progress and hurt development and advancement in other countries," adding that "investing in the development of poor countries is good for everyone involved. When there are more highly educated, healthy countries, there is more prosperity for all."

The editorial paraphrases a speech by Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to G20 leaders last week, writing that he "specifically pointed out three reasons why aid is still crucial for developing countries. First, U.S. aid funds innovation that poor governments and unstable private sectors cannot support"; "Next, investing in the development of poor countries is good for everyone involved"; and "Finally, what most people do not realize is that the U.S. spends barely more than one percent of its budget on developing countries" (11/8).