WASHINGTON—May 20, 2009—Karen A. Goraleski, vice president of public health partnerships and executive director of the Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research at Research!America, responded to the release of the Institute of Medicine's new report on U.S. investment in global health:
"The release of today's IOM report could not be timelier, as America and the global community continue to address H1N1, or the swine flu virus. This is yet another example of how global health is America's health.
"As the report states, President Obama's new Global Health Initiative is commendable, and the United States has made record financial commitments to global health over the past decade. However, we need to do much more. At this historic time, the U.S. has the opportunity to advance the welfare and prosperity of people within and beyond its borders through intensified and committed attention to better health.
"One of most critical avenues to improving global health is an increased and sustained investment in research, funded in large part by federal agencies such as the NIH and the CDC. As the report points out, this is an investment in not only the health of developing countries but also in America, and if we act in the global interest, long-term diplomatic, economic, and security benefits for the U.S. will follow.
"U.S. investment in global health research is the smart thing to do for America and the right thing to do for the world. The American public knows this - an overwhelming 88% of Americans think that the U.S. should be a leader in research to improve health globally, according to a recent Research!America poll. It is critical that we meet the public's demand for increased global health research funding. Our health and our well-being depend upon it."
Research!America is the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Visit www.researchamerica.org.
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