The U.S. government's involvement in global child survival and health is rooted in the attitudes of Americans themselves. Americans strongly support programs for prenatal care, safe motherhood, nutrition, and child immunization, and they view children's health as a top priority for foreign aid.

Foreign Assistance Reform

The Coalition is actively involved in discussions to inform Members of Congress and their staff about global health and development issues as they undertake a process of reforming the U.S. foreign assistance system. Read more

Authorizing Legislation

More than 125 Members of the 110th Congress supported the Global Child Survival Act of 2007, an effort to strengthen the U.S. Government's role in saving the lives of children and mothers in poor countries. An expanded version of the bill - the Newborn, Child, and Mother Survival Act of 2009, was introduced on March 10 in the House of Representatives.  And on October 28 the Global Child Survival Act of 2009 was introduced in the Senate.

Appropriations

Congressional appropriations for child survival programs have, when adjusted for inflation, declined by nearly 20 percent for most of the past decade. Meanwhile, many of the countries with the highest rates of child mortality have seen population gains in the same period. As a result, an increasing number of children are at risk. Nevertheless, child and maternal health programs have proven to be cost-effective, life-saving investments in developing nations, worthy of increased support.