U.S. Global Health Initiative
Saving Lives and Promoting Security
The U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI), launched by President Barack Obama, supports countries as they work to improve the health of their own people. It builds health systems — training health workers, establishing disease monitoring and laboratory systems, and repairing health clinics — so improvements in health can continue for generations.
GHI works to save the lives of mothers, children and families through programs that address:
- Infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS
- Nutrition
- Maternal and child health
- Neglected tropical diseases
- Safe water
- Sanitation
- Hygiene
Global Health Initiative Principles
GHI is driven by a set of core principles:
- Focus on woman, girls, and gender equality
- Encourage country ownership and invest in country-led plans
- Build sustainability through health systems strengthening
- Strengthen and leverage key multilateral organizations, global health partnerships and private sector engagement
- Increase impact through strategic coordination and integration
- Improve metrics, monitoring and evaluation
- Promote research and innovation
GHI Targets
GHI will achieve the following targets:
- HIV/AIDS: Support prevention of more than 12 million new infections, care for more than 12 million people, and treatment for more than 4 million people.
- Child health: Reduce under-five mortality rates by 35 percent in assisted countries.
- Maternal health: Reduce maternal mortality by 30 percent in assisted countries.
- Tuberculosis: Treat a minimum of 2.6 million new sputum smear positive TB cases and 57,200 multi-drug resistant cases of TB by 2014.
- Malaria: Reduce the burden of malaria by 50 percent for 450 million people.
- NTDs: Reduce the prevalence of 7 NTDs by 50 percent among 70 percent of the population affected by NTDs.
- Family Planning: Prevent 54 million unintended pregnancies.
- Nutrition: Reduce child undernutrition by 30 percent in food-insecure countries in conjunction with Feed the Future.
Where We Work
GHI includes U.S. global health programs in approximately 80 countries worldwide.
Eight countries, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nepal and Rwanda, have been selected as the first set of “GHI Plus” countries. These countries will receive additional technical and management resources to quickly implement GHI’s approach.
What GHI Does
GHI builds on successful bipartisan leadership in global health to save lives and promote security around the world
Saving Lives
Fighting global disease reflects core American values and interests — saving lives and allowing more people to make a better world for their children. U.S. global health programs have already saved millions of lives, reducing the suffering and hardship caused by disease.
Promoting Security
Fighting global disease anywhere directly protects the health of citizens around the world because infectious diseases know no borders. Global health is also vital to national security. Investing in the health of people in developing countries reduces the instability that fuels war and conflict.
Maximizing Results
GHI ensures that agencies conducting global health initiatives combine their efforts to maximize results. GHI is making the most of every dollar to improve the health of the poorest families around the world.