The US Commitment to Global Health: Recommendations for the Public and Private Sectors

Excerpt

The Institute of Medicine (IOM)—with the support of four U.S. government agencies and five private foundations—convened an expert committee to investigate the U.S. commitment to global health and articulate a vision for future U.S. investments and activities in this area. While global health encompasses the health of everyone (including U.S. citizens) and is a shared global aspiration that requires the work of many nations, this report focuses on the efforts of the United States, both its governmental and its nongovernmental sectors, to help improve health in low- and middle-income countries.

The committee examined whether the existing architecture, investments, and activities of the U.S. global health enterprise are optimally geared to achieving significant, sustainable, and measurable global health gains. This report communicates specific recommendations, not just for the U.S. government, but also for several nongovernmental sectors, including foundations, universities, nonprofit organizations, and commercial entities.