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Act Now to Support the Global HEALTH Act
  1. Signatures
    102 out of 150
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Victor Roy
    Cambridge, United Kingdom
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
Why This Is Important

The statistics are shocking.

Malawi has only 260 doctors to care for a population of 13 million. The city of Washington, DC, home to 600,000 people, has about twice as many physicians as the entire country of Ethiopia, home to 80 million.

As we celebrate World Health Day on April 7th, the health workforce crisis remains one of the greatest hurdles to realizing the right to health for all in developing countries. Now, the US Government has an amazing new opportunity to support health workers in Africa, Asia and other regions to fight AIDS, malaria, maternal mortality and other medical conditions that kill millions every year.

The Global HEALTH Act, introduced in Congress by Representative Barbara Lee on March 24, would provide $2 billion over 5 years to increase the number of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers in developing countries, and to improve primary care for all. The bill not only authorizes new resources. It also develops a comprehensive vision for a US Global Health Strategy that will complement the goals of developing countries and ensure our aid money is effectively used to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Commemorate World Health Day by taking action. Email your Representative and encourage them to co-sponsor the Global HEALTH Act today.

Want to learn more about the Global HEALTH Act? Check out Physician for Human Rights' blog series on the bill. Read the bill, check out the fact sheet, watch videos on the health workforce crisis, and hear from African doctors and nurses as they describe what it is like to work in broken health systems.

This bill would revolutionize America’s response to the health workforce crisis, and could help save hundreds of thousands of lives: Tell your Representative to co-sponsor the Global HEALTH Act today.

Recent Signatures

Co-Sponsor the Global HEALTH Act

Greetings,

The U.S. Government’s commitment to global health has made an enormous difference in helping to save lives around the world. However, millions of people still die each year of AIDS, malaria, maternal mortality and other often preventable diseases. The Global HEALTH Act of 2010 (H.R. 4933) will harmonize United States foreign health aid and will introduce new approaches that will build health systems and save lives. I urge you to co-sponsor The Global HEALTH Act today as a sign of your commitment to improving global health.

The Global HEALTH Act provides a comprehensive response to broken health systems across Africa, Asia and the rest of the developing world. First, the bill would integrate and harmonize all U.S. foreign health aid, and build on the Administration’s Global Health Initiative by requiring a comprehensive, benchmarked U.S. Global Health Strategy. The bill’s vision for a US Global Health Strategy will complement the goals of developing countries and ensure our aid money is effectively used to help save the lives of millions of people. It will enhance accountability to Congress, the American public, and the beneficiaries of our aid.

Second, the Global HEALTH Act ensures a new focus on building health systems in developing countries, contributing greatly to sustainable health programs. The bill would create a new Global Health Workforce Initiative, authorizing $2 billion over five years to help at least 12 countries recruit, train, retain, equitably distribute, and increase the effectiveness of their health workforce. This is a smart investment that will enhance the efficacy of the rest of U.S. global health assistance.

By focusing on building health systems overall, the bill helps countries address myriad global health issues—HIV and AIDS, maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health, TB, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases—and ensure access to a comprehensive package of primary health services.

As your constituent and someone who cares about global health, I hope you will co-sponsor this bill. If passed, the Global HEALTH Act will save lives and cement America’s position as a global health leader.

[Your name]