Global Health As Part Of Development Agenda

The Survey of Americans on the U.S. Role in Global Health found that the public sees health as one of many priorities within a broad development agenda for U.S. aid to poorer nations. Americans place priority on basic investments with long-term payoffs that address a variety of tough challenges.

For instance, 59 percent of Americans say fighting terrorism and promoting peace should be a "top priority" for the president and Congress when it comes to helping developing nations, followed by improving education (55%).  Next in line and clumped together are reducing poverty (41%), improving health (38%), protecting the environment and fighting climate change (37%), and promoting the rights of women (34%). Fewer Americans (25%) see promoting democracy as a top priority.

 

When it comes to determining how to spend U.S. dollars on improving health in developing countries, Americans say objective criteria of need should carry the most influence. Most people say that whether a problem affects children (69%) and how many people die each year (60%) should be "very important" factors in setting aid priorities. Fewer cite reasons like whether a country is friendly toward the U.S. (36%) or whether the aid would advance U.S. foreign policy interests (25%), although a strong majority (62%) say assistance helps improve the U.S.'s image in the countries that receive it.

Along those lines, when asked what should be a "top priority" for U.S. spending on health in developing countries, Americans are most likely to say improving access to clean water (61%), increasing childhood immunizations against diseases like polio (61%), and reducing hunger and malnutrition (60%).

Many See Assistance As "Right Thing To Do," But Are Wary Of Corruption Abroad

When asked what the "most important" reason is for the U.S. to spend money on health in developing countries, nearly half (47%) say because it is "the right thing to do." Far fewer identify national security (11%) or diplomatic interests (8%) as the most important reason.   

The poll also suggests that Americans have mixed views about how far money can go in creating better conditions abroad.  About half the public (51%) says more spending from the U.S. and other countries "won't make much difference" in improving health for people in developing nations, while 40 percent say it "will lead to meaningful progress."  The public is most likely to cite corruption (80%), widespread poverty (71%) and a lack of political leadership (66%) as barriers to making additional progress abroad.

Half of Americans say they have personally donated money to an organization that works to improve health for people in developing nations.  And despite their renewed focus on the home front, most Americans (57%) say the U.S. and other industrialized nations are not doing enough to improve health for people in the developing world.

Large majorities say that, over the last five years, U.S. health spending has made at least a small difference in improving the lives of people abroad (83%) and in changing the overall course of disease in developing countries (79%), including some who say it has made a big difference in these areas (38% and 30%, respectively).

 

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