The United States is the world’s leader in health and humanitarian assistance. For decades, the United States has been the largest contributor to global health security. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. government has committed nearly $500 million in assistance to date. This funding will improve public health education, protect healthcare facilities, and increase laboratory, disease-surveillance, and rapid-response capacity in more than 60 of the world’s most at risk countries– all in an effort to help contain outbreaks before they reach our shores.
Over the last 20 years, the United States has invested more than $140 billion dollars in health and humanitarian assistance, including more than one billion dollars to strengthen the capacity of countries to prevent, detect, and respond to existing and emerging infectious disease threats and, ultimately, protect our homeland. Through the generosity of the American people and the leadership of the U.S. government, the United States has continued to demonstrate its global leadership in public health and humanitarian assistance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States is by far the most generous and reliable contributor to crisis response and humanitarian action through the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Food Program and dozens of international organizations. Our leadership enables these organizations to fight disease and ultimately, protect Americans. Americans don’t just provide aid through government means. We have helped populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic around the world through the generosity of private businesses, nonprofit groups, and faith-based organizations. As history proves, we can fight pandemics at home and help other nations contain their spread abroad.
“Today I can confirm that we are prepared to commit an additional $225 million in health, humanitarian, and economic assistance to further boost response efforts worldwide. That’s on top of the roughly $274 million in funding we’ve already deployed to 64 countries across the globe. No country can match this level of generosity.” Secretary of State Pompeo, April 7, 2020
