Create conversation about global health

I am a supporter of The Borgen Project, a national campaign focused on the elimination of global poverty. A main focus of the organization is the mobilization of American leaders to work toward making the eradication of poverty a cornerstone of American foreign policy. Through my work with The Borgen Project, I was able to learn more about different bills and the international conditions that make support so important.

One bill that I find of the utmost importance is the the Global Health Innovation Act. This bill seeks to direct the administration of the U.S. Agency for International Development to report annually to Congress on the development and use of global health innovations in the agency’s programs, projects and activities. USAID has been a global leader in poverty alleviation, particularly through health initiatives. Its investments in maternal and neonatal health and voluntary family planning have significantly reduced maternal mortality by 40 to 60 percent in 24 partner countries.

This act would enable USAID to inform our nation’s leaders on how innovation is contributing to the achievement of global health goals including attaining an HIV/AIDS-free generation, ending preventable child and maternal deaths, and protecting communities against infectious diseases. These, in addition to all the ways foreign aid is beneficial for the United States overall, provide a very compelling case for people to reach out in their own communities and create conversations about global health that we may not ordinarily see.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Create conversation about global health."