Roll Call | December 4, 2014
By Bruce Wilkinson
Pandemics as rapid and devastating as the current Ebola outbreak, although rare, serve as an important reminder of the critical security and humanitarian work the U.S. does around the world and here at home — not with drones and air bases, but with medical tents and syringes.
It is my hope at times such as these that, despite fear-inducing headlines and finger-pointing politics, U.S. foreign aid will find a moment of rare appreciation, and support. U.S. foreign assistance provides indispensable global leadership concerning both emergency and on-going global health needs. This work is instrumental in saving millions of lives around the world and protecting ourselves here at home.
At just one fifth of 1 percent of the entire federal budget, U.S. global health funding is a tiny portion of government spending, but the American government nevertheless remains the world’s single largest development donor.