Congress falls short on promise: the fight for $1 billion

By Craig Jaggers, World Vision health policy advisor

For most children in Africa, mosquito bites that pass on malaria are a lethal threat. And now, programs to combat this killer disease are at risk as a House appropriations subcommittee just bit off nearly 70 percent of the increase in the president's request for malaria programs -- an amount already short of the $1 billion a year commitment the United States made in 2008.

If action isn't taken, malaria funding could be limited to $615 million in fiscal year 2011, $70 million below the president's request and far short of the congressional promise to provide $1 billion a year.

ACT NOW: Ask Congress to keep its promises and protect funds to end malaria!

These cuts are not merely for the sake of fiscal austerity, as the committee provided increases above the president's request in other accounts.

This is a critical moment, and for those of us who care about protecting children from this lethal disease, a time for action. It's not too late to provide more funding for malaria, but Congress needs to hear that people care. The full House of Representatives will need to vote on the appropriations bill, and the Senate has not yet taken action on the appropriations bill affecting global health. Action now could make all the difference.

ACT NOW: Ask Congress to keep its promises and protect funds to end malaria!