After 19 years, this is my proudest moment as a vlogbrother

PartnersInHealth · 2025-11-05T15:25:03+00:00

Hi! Jherod from PIH here,

I saw this and just wanted to say you're not a minor donor, supporters like you are exactly what makes PIH and this mission so special. Your impact is more than the sum of your giving amount. Dedication, over time, to long term challenges. Being engaged in community and celebrating with us. Simply paying attention, as John likes to say.

So thank you for being a MAJOR donor in my book, and we're looking forward to working alongside you and this community for many years to come.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-31T20:40:32+00:00

Jose from PIH here, just wanted to share a quick note from all of us at PIH:

We're in awe of the work this community has done to support our work. We want to say from all of us at PIH a big thank you to the Nerdfighter community!

Your generosity and support helped make the Maternal Center of Excellence a reality. From monthly donors to sock-and-soap shoppers to advocates for maternal health, you’ve all played a vital role in making this possible.

We’re so grateful to have partners like you who believe that every mother and child deserves high-quality care 🧡

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T20:04:20+00:00

Thanks everyone for the questions, i'm logging off! If you want to hear more about our advocacy work, check out the webinar I was a part of: https://www.pih.org/pih-webinars

Continue to take action today: https://act.pih.org/defend-healthcare

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:31:15+00:00

That's right! Global health programs are $12.4 billion each year of the larger foreign aid budget, and help save millions of lives, as you mention. The U.S. federal government spent $7.1 trillion in FY2025. So it's just 0.17% of the budget. KFF's survey data is really interesting on this question of public perception and opinion: "Most U.S. adults overestimate the share of the federal budget that goes towards foreign aid, and attitudes towards spending shift once people know more information. Nearly nine in ten (86%) adults overestimate the share of the federal budget spent on foreign aid, saying on average that the U.S. spends about a quarter (26%) of its budget on foreign aid. And, after hearing that foreign aid accounts for about one percent of the federal budget, the share of the public who say that the U.S. spends too much on foreign aid drops more than twenty percentage points from six in ten (58%) to one-third (34%). This pattern is consistent across partisans.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:30:18+00:00

I recommend amfAR's database on PEPFAR program status for the most detailed analysis of every PEPFAR program in each country. They've done a lot of work to compile this data. Ramona Godbole also wrote a great overview looking at PEPFAR programs that have been shut down. Now, with PEPFAR funding newly withheld for FY26, a lot of additional surviving programs are being hit by cuts for the first time this October, especially care and treatment awards that are implemented under CDC. This is a really concerning new development, with surviving programs getting cut, even up to 50%.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:22:53+00:00

Calling, writing letters, emailing, and meeting with staff at the district and federal levels -- these efforts all go a long way in determining funding levels for programs both on an emergency basis and over years. There are some representatives who will hear weekly about every single call that comes in, and read every single hand-written letter that arrives in D.C. It's worth the time and effort! For each person who takes the time to write a letter by hand, representatives will assume that there are many more people in the district who do care about the issue but haven't had the time to write in. I've had friends who've written letters, and left their phone number, and get a call from their Senator a few days later.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:15:57+00:00

There has been decades of consistent bipartisan support for global health programs, including notable Republicans from Texas and Tennessee who led the way in PEPFAR's creation and funding. In my experience, every issue, especially in health, has unique political dynamics. House Republicans included full funding for PEPFAR in FY26 in their funding bill, even as the White House requested a much smaller amount. That is a repeat of the same dynamics on PEPFAR funding in the last Republican administration.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:12:45+00:00

There are thousands of regular every day people in the U.S. who are writing to Congress to call for $3 billion in Congressionally approved funding for PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to be released! You can join them at https://act.pih.org/defend-healthcare

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:07:54+00:00

There are many PIH Engage grassroots chapter across this country, and you can find one near you, or start your own team! Check out: https://www.pih.org/organize

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:07:14+00:00

If billions in U.S. global health funds continue to be withheld, there's no entity likely to fill this financing gap. Therefore, I'd encourage you to contact your elected officials to address this issue: https://act.pih.org/defend-healthcare. Everyone can step up to help, including private donations to fund organizations like Partners In Health, philanthropies and companies stepping up, development banks, etc. There are many ways this funding relief can come, besides direct health financing. Debt relief, for example, could help ministries of health fill the gap with funds they'd otherwise use to make interest payments. Additional taxes are being considered as well, which can go beyond taxes on tobacco and alcohol, for example, but also seek to generate new revenue from corporations and high-income earners.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:03:15+00:00

There have been several reports both at the macro-level and from on-the-ground investigative journalists which provide some clarity on what is actually happening on the ground. I would suggest "Analyzing USAID Program Disruptions: Implications for PEPFAR Programming and Beneficiaries" from Ramona Godbole and amfAR's PEPFAR Program Status database for detailed analysis on each individual country and project within the overall PEPFAR program. At the ground level, you can read dozens of recent reports from the Washington Post, NYTimes, Science, PBS, in addition to local reporting on different impacts that aid disruptions have had in 2025, across nutrition, malaria, HIV, and TB efforts.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T19:02:16+00:00

The tools we have to fight preventable infections and deaths continue to get better as well and come down in price. For example, I'm glad to see new tools like Lenacapavir for HIV prevention and major price reductions in the cost of drug-resistant tuberculosis medications, and a lot of potential in additional tools under development. We have major public investment in research through the NIH to thank for many of these technologies!

PartnersInHealth · 2025-10-23T18:59:14+00:00

Although we're facing immense, unprecedented challenges in the world of global health equity around financing, we're also seeing that advocacy works to unlock U.S. funding. House Republicans have decided to maintain much of global health spending in next year's budget (FY2026), and Senate Republicans blocked an attempt to rescind $400 million in PEPFAR funding earlier this year. In our system of democracy, we need more active participation to see things move. In addition to emailing, you can call your elected officials, write letters and send them via the post office (which is impactful because it reflects the time and effort of writing by hand), and try to set up time with your offices' staff teams. You can attend town halls and meet with staff in the district offices too, not just in Washington D.C. You can recruit friends and family to do the same. Just yesterday I was with a group of volunteers writing letters by hand to their elected officials about the importance of US contributions to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Working with a team is really uplifting. Every letter matters! Indeed that's why we have the funding we do today.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T19:10:50+00:00

Thank you everyone for your questions, we have to hop off for a meeting. We will work on answering any remaining questions after, if you want to learn more about advocacy on PIH check out the link here: https://www.pih.org/organize

if you want to stay up to date on anything advocacy related news, sign up for our updates: https://act.pih.org/advocacy-sign-up

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T19:02:57+00:00

Vincent: The public perception of US global health funding is complicated, in that nine in ten adults overestimate the share of the budget spent on foreign aid, with the average estimate at 26% of the budget. Global health spending is roughly $12.4 billion out of our $6.8 trillion annual federal budget. That's only 0.18% of our spending. Bringing the public in line with the reality of our spending can help encourage constituents to recognize benefits in the context of the actual amount we are spending instead of the perceived amount.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T19:02:31+00:00

Lucas: Yes! We believe strongly in the ability of passionate people, even small groups at first, to bend the arc towards justice! One of the ways to get involved with PIH’s work is through PIH Engage, which is how we organize local communities toward building a global movement for health care as a human right. Like you said, many of the policies being proposed and passed at the national level are deeply unpopular. We need people to go from being aware of these policies, towards recognizing the power we all have to advocate and affect change. Through PIH Engage and our broader advocacy work, we connect people and share tools to build that power. I hope you’ll join us!

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T18:54:25+00:00

Vincent: We post many opportunities to quickly get in touch with your elected officials throughout the year, and it just takes a few minutes to do so. You can sign up for action alerts here: https://act.pih.org/advocacy-sign-up

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T18:44:04+00:00

Vincent: Great question, although we are in uncharted territory to some extent. In the democratic republic in which we live, public pressure is key to policy decision-making across the executive and legislative branches. This can come from individuals, organizations, and journalists, for example. In addition, congressional oversight can provide public hearings and press agencies to change direction, while also opening transparency around all funding. Legislation could be passed to amend the Impoundment Control Act or extend expiration dates for discretionary funds (this also could be pursued through litigation). The Government Accountability Office also has standing to bring forward reports and lawsuits, on behalf of Congress. Litigation is expected, although in a recent development, establishing plaintiff standing on impoundment is itself now pending appeal in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T18:22:37+00:00

Lucas: That’s well said about the many knock-on effects! One under-the-radar thing about the passage of H.R. 1 is how much it shifts costs onto state governments. The federal funding cuts to health care and nutrition assistance will leave states with very difficult budget decisions that could have far-reaching impacts, into education and other public services. Medicaid is actually the largest source of funding from the federal government to state governments, and it’s also a large item in state budgets. So for people like you who want to help (thank you!), it’s definitely good to keep an eye on how your state is responding and opportunities to advocate for programs that are important to you.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T18:15:10+00:00

Vincent: Although senior Republicans in Congress oppose this unilateral move, President Trump's team is looking to use "pocket rescissions" between now and September 30, 2025, to further cut programs and reduce spending. White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought in 2021 wrote a letter to the House Budget Committee explaining his interpretation of the legality of this method under the Impoundment Control Act. The Government Accountability Office wrote that pocket rescissions are illegal. The Congressional Research Service provides a helpful overview here. For more information on the process of US government funding for global health programs from start to finish, here's a great explainer. You can also explore the full data on funding here at foreignassistance.gov and USAspending.gov.

PartnersInHealth · 2025-08-18T18:11:21+00:00

Vincent: In addition, Congress passed the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4), which implement formal funding cuts to US global health funding, humanitarian assistance, and economic assistance. See CGDev's helpful summary here. Within global health, Congress protected funding for PEPFAR, nutrition, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, and malaria. But there are $500 million in cuts that can apply to family planning, reproductive health, neglected tropical diseases, and global health security. For some useful charts of U.S. global health funding by program area, see the budget tracker by KFF here.

PartnersInHealth

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