Statement by Pandemic Action Network Co-Founder Carolyn Reynolds

“The Senate FY23 State and Foreign Operations (SFOPs) bill tabled today takes meaningful steps toward urgently needed new investments in global health security, pandemic preparedness, and the global COVID-19 response. Critically, the Senate bill takes action on long overdue emergency funding — US$5 billion — to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The amount remains far short of the global needs, but is a needed investment to help deliver vaccines to the last mile and help countries adapt to the current stage of this persistent pandemic that continues to upend lives and livelihoods around the world. Our Network is pleased to see that the bill’s emergency title makes meaningful down payments of US$950 million in pandemic preparedness priorities, including up to US$550 million for the Financial Intermediary Fund for Pandemic Preparedness at the World Bank (Pandemic Fund). If approved, this would bring total U.S. contributions to the Fund this calendar year to US$1 billion, and set the bar for partner countries to marshal the US$10 billion needed annually to deliver on the promise of this historic Fund.  

While less than the US$1 billion for global health security in President Biden’s budget request or the FY23 House bill, the Senate’s US$745 million allocation for global health security programs also protects meaningful increases in this account from FY22 that will allow USAID and State to expand efforts to help countries build and sustain capacities to detect, prevent, and respond to emerging disease threats before they become emergencies — including through investments in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) and the Pandemic Fund. 

We urge Congress to move past pandemic fatigue and prioritize these investments to help stop the spread of COVID and to make America and the world safer from emerging pandemic threats. The pieces are there — now we need leadership and action.”