Most Want U.S. Congress to Make Global Health a Priority
WASHINGTON—February 20, 2009—Even as Americans are tightening their belts, a majority (60%) say in a recent poll that they would be willing to pay $1 more per week in taxes for stronger U.S. investment in global health, and nearly as many (58%) want Congress to make global health a priority. The poll was commissioned by Research!America, the nation's largest advocacy alliance for medical and health research as part of its Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research.
"These results show that, even in hard economic times, Americans see the value of global health research for themselves and people everywhere," said Mary Woolley, president, Research!America. "With a new Congress and new Administration, now is the time when we can make a real difference for global health research. We have the support of the American people, who know global health research is the smart thing to do for our country and the right thing to do for the world. It's time to put that support into stronger action."
The polling results also show:
- Nine in 10 Americans are concerned about the health problems facing the world today, and half (51%) say they think more about global health than they did five years ago;
- 77% say that the U.S. would be better off with more investment in research that is designed to improve health around the world;
- Three-fourths (73%) say Americans should worry about diseases like malaria, dengue fever and cholera that mostly affect poorer countries; and
- Nearly half (49%) say the United States has a great deal of responsibility to conduct research that would prevent diseases that disproportionately affect poorer countries.
The Society-named for the late Congressman and renowned advocate for health-serves the public's interest by engaging America's leading global health experts as ambassadors in advocacy for a greater U.S. investment in this research. Last month, Research!America announced 25 new Rogers Society Ambassadors, who join 50 of their peers in the Society in a united effort to build a national conversation around the value of U.S.-funded global heath research.
Research!America commissioned Charlton Research Company to conduct an online survey of 1,000 Americans, ages 18 and older. The sample is proportionate to the nation's demographics, including geography, gender, income and ethnicity, with a margin of error of ± 3.1%. Download complete results from www.researchamerica.org/uploads/2008NationalGlobalHealth.pdf.
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. Founded in 1989, it is supported by 500 member organizations, which represent more than 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.
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