Best Investment for a Healthier World

Frontline Health Workers Coalition Congressional Testimony to Urge Greater Investment in Health Workforce

Vince Blaser, director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition (FHWC), will deliver testimony to the US Congress today on the urgent need for greater focus on and investment in strengthening the frontline health workforce in communities with the least access around the world—an intervention critical to maximizing the impact of US global health appropriations.

Blaser will urge the House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee to adopt the Global Health Council’s evidence-based FY 2020 recommendations of $7.05 billion for global health programs at the Department of State and $4.39 billion for USAID; and $435 million for water in all accounts.

Blaser will deliver the testimony on behalf of IntraHealth International—in addition to his role as Director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, Blaser is also senior advocacy and policy advisor for IntraHealth, which holds the FHWC secretariat. Blaser will include the core recommendations of FHWC, which advocates for greater, sustained US investment in the frontline health workforce worldwide—a crucial intervention to deliver on all US global health priorities.

Blaser will highlight the substantial 9 to 1 return on investment in health, and its tremendous potential to spur women’s economic empowerment, as women make up 70% of the global health workforce. He’ll recommend the subcommittee ask agencies to annually report on their collective efforts to advance the preservice education, recruitment, training, retention, connectivity, and safety of frontline health workers around the world, so future appropriations can be guided toward the highest-impact interventions. Two other FHWC members–Global Health Council and Save the Children—will also provide testimony today.  

Watch Blaser’s testimony here.

Read the testimony: "House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Written Testimony of Vince Blaser, MA, Senior Advocacy and Policy Advisor, IntraHealth International Director, Frontline Health Workers Coalition," and on our site here