Successes and Tips for Lobbying on Global Health

January 31st, 2010 at 4:19 pm

During the Global Health Panel, members of the Power 100 were extremely grateful to hear from experts in the field. Dr. Al Bartlett, Senior Advisor for Child Survival USAID, informed the campus leaders that despite little increase in funding throughout the decade towards Maternal and Child Health, much has been accomplished. Many of the successes have been attributed to an increase in vaccination, protecting children from basic diseases such as some strands of pneumonia and rotavirus.

Natasha Bilimoria, President of Friends of the Global Fight, updated us on the work of the Global Fund. 2.5 million people are currently on anti-retroviral medications, essential for their well being, because of the Global Fund. Mark Green, Managing Director of Malaria No More, also helped prepare us for the Lobbying Day. When lobbying for more funding for global programs such as PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and PMI (the President’s Malaria Initiative), it is important to appeal to your audience. Improvements in global health foster stronger development, political stability, which in turn is beneficial to national security. Global health is an essential issue that attracts bipartisan support.

- Bryant Shannon, Campus Outreach Ambassador for Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi and Texas