The eyes of the world settled on Washington D.C. yesterday as President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union speech. While the emphasis of the speech was the American economy and domestic issues, President Obama also briefly reiterated America’s commitment to public health abroad. That reiteration took the form of a few brief sentences towards the end of the speech. President Obama stated “We’re helping developing countries to feed themselves, and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS. And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease – a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad.”
Following the Obama Administration’s announcement of a top-line freeze on discretionary spending, many began to wonder what impact this would have on global health and development. However, it seems as though public health remains an international priority for this administration.
A continued commitment to global health is important, as one of the key elements the speech hit on was the security of the United States. The fact is that public health, and treating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in particular is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to reduce global instability and improve the security of the United States. NTDs affect populations in nations which are not only poor, but frequently breeding grounds for radicalization and terrorism. According to a 2009 study by Dr. Peter Hotez, nations which are part of the Organization of Islamic Countries account for about half of the world’s schistosome infections, between 200 and 300 million cases of intestinal helminth infections, and a high rate of blinding trachoma. The links between global stability and treating NTDs is obvious when one considers the significant negative impact NTDs have socially, politically, and economically, and the established link between those social cleavages and extremism. Then consider that the top seven NTDs can be treated for a year for only $0.50 per person, and the value of NTD treatment becomes readily apparent.
One of the biggest applauses President Obama got yesterday was when he said “America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity. Always.” If this administration keeps global health on their agenda, than they have taken a huge step to affirm that.
