[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1418 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1418

To provide assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and 
        mothers in developing countries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2007

Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Leahy) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and 
        mothers in developing countries, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Commitment to Global 
Child Survival Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In 2000, the United States joined 188 countries in 
        committing to achieve 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 
        2015, including ``MDG 4'' and ``MDG 5'' that aim to reduce the 
        mortality rate of children under the age of 5 by \2/3\ and 
        maternal mortality rate by \3/4\ in developing countries, 
        respectively.
            (2) The significant commitment of the United States to 
        reducing child mortality in the developing world contributed to 
        a 50-percent reduction in the mortality rate of children under 
        the age of 5 between 1960 and 1990, and over the past 20 years, 
        the United States has invested over $6,000,000,000 in child 
        survival programs run by the United States Agency for 
        International Development.
            (3) According to one of the world's leading medical 
        journals, the Lancet, despite United States and global efforts 
        to achieve MDG 4, of the 60 countries that account for 94 
        percent of under-5 child deaths, ``only seven countries are on 
        track to meet MDG 4, thirty-nine countries are making some 
        progress, although they need to accelerate the speed, and 
        fourteen countries are cause for serious concern''.
            (4) 10,500,000 children under the age of 5 die annually, 
        over 29,000 children per day, from easily preventable and 
        treatable causes, including 4,000,000 newborns who die in the 
        first 4 weeks of life.
            (5) 3,000,000 children die each year due to lack of access 
        to low-cost antibiotics and antimalarial drugs, and 1,700,000 
        die from diseases for which vaccines are readily available.
            (6) Maternal health is an important determinant of neonatal 
        survival with maternal death increasing death rates for 
        newborns to as high as 100 percent in certain countries in the 
        developing world.
            (7) Approximately 525,000 women die every year in the 
        developing world from causes related to pregnancy and 
        childbirth.
            (8) Risk factors for maternal death in developing countries 
        include pregnancy and childbirth at an early age, closely 
        spaced births, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and 
        complications during childbirth.
            (9) According to the Lancet, nearly \2/3\ of annual child 
        and newborn deaths, 6,000,000 children, can be avoided in 
        accordance with MDG 4 if a package of high impact, low-cost 
        interventions were made available at a total, additional, 
        annual cost of $5,100,000,000, including oral rehydration 
        therapy for diarrhea ($0.06 per treatment) and antibiotics to 
        treat respiratory infections ($0.25 per treatment).
            (10) 2,000,000 lives could be saved annually by providing 
        oral rehydration therapy prepared with clean water.
            (11) Exclusive breastfeeding--giving only breast milk for 
        the first 6 months of life--could prevent an estimated 
        1,300,000 newborn and infant deaths each year, primarily by 
        protecting against diarrhea and pneumonia.
            (12) Expansion of clinical care for newborns and mothers, 
        such as clean delivery by skilled attendants, emergency 
        obstetric care, and neonatal resuscitation, can avert 50 
        percent of newborn deaths and reduce maternal mortality.
            (13) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), with 
        support from the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and 
        the African Union, has successfully demonstrated the 
        accelerated child survival and development program in Senegal, 
        Mali, Benin, and Ghana, reducing mortality of children under 
        the age of 5 by 20 percent in targeted areas using low-cost, 
        high-impact interventions.
            (14) On September 14, 2005, President George W. Bush stated 
        before the United Nations High-Level Plenary Meeting that the 
        United States is ``committed to the Millennium Development 
        Goals''.
            (15) Nearing the halfway point of attaining the MDGs by 
        2015 with thousands of avoidable newborn, child, and maternal 
        deaths still occurring, the United States must immediately 
        scale up its funding and delivery of proven low-cost, life-
        saving interventions in order to fulfill its commitment to help 
        ensure that MDGs 4 and 5 are met.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to develop a strategy to reduce mortality and improve 
        the health of newborns, children, and mothers, and authorize 
        assistance for its implementation; and
            (2) to establish a task force to assess, monitor, and 
        evaluate the progress and contributions of relevant departments 
        and agencies of the United States Government in achieving MDGs 
        4 and 5.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF NEWBORNS, CHILDREN, AND 
              MOTHERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 104(c)--
                    (A) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
                (2); and
            (2) by inserting after section 104C the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 104D. ASSISTANCE TO REDUCE MORTALITY AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF 
              NEWBORNS, CHILDREN, AND MOTHERS.

    ``(a) Authorization.--Consistent with section 104(c), the President 
is authorized to furnish assistance, on such terms and conditions as 
the President may determine, to reduce mortality and improve the health 
of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries.
    ``(b) Activities Supported.--Assistance provided under subsection 
(a) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be used to carry out the 
following activities:
            ``(1) Activities to improve newborn care and treatment.
            ``(2) Activities to treat childhood illness, including 
        increasing access to appropriate treatment for diarrhea, 
        pneumonia, and other life-threatening childhood illnesses.
            ``(3) Activities to improve child and maternal nutrition, 
        including the delivery of iron, zinc, vitamin A, iodine, and 
        other key micronutrients and the promotion of breastfeeding.
            ``(4) Activities to strengthen the delivery of immunization 
        services, including efforts to eliminate polio.
            ``(5) Activities to improve birth preparedness and 
        maternity services.
            ``(6) Activities to improve the recognition and treatment 
        of obstetric complications and disabilities.
            ``(7) Activities to improve household-level behavior 
        related to safe water, hygiene, exposure to indoor smoke, and 
        environmental toxins such as lead.
            ``(8) Activities to improve capacity for health governance, 
        health finance, and the health workforce, including support for 
        training clinicians, nurses, technicians, sanitation and public 
        health workers, community-based health works, midwives, birth 
        attendants, peer educators, volunteers, and private sector 
        enterprises.
            ``(9) Activities to address antimicrobial resistance in 
        child and maternal health.
            ``(10) Activities to establish and support the management 
        information systems of host country institutions and the 
        development and use of tools and models to collect, analyze, 
        and disseminate information related to newborn, child, and 
        maternal health.
            ``(11) Activities to develop and conduct needs assessments, 
        baseline studies, targeted evaluations, or other information-
        gathering efforts for the design, monitoring, and evaluation of 
        newborn, child, and maternal health efforts.
            ``(12) Activities to integrate and coordinate assistance 
        provided under this section with existing health programs for--
                    ``(A) the prevention of the transmission of HIV 
                from mother-to-child and other HIV/AIDS counseling, 
                care, and treatment activities;
                    ``(B) malaria;
                    ``(C) tuberculosis; and
                    ``(D) child spacing.
    ``(c) Guidelines.--To the maximum extent practicable, programs, 
projects, and activities carried out using assistance provided under 
this section shall be--
            ``(1) carried out through private and voluntary 
        organizations, including faith-based organizations, and 
        relevant international and multilateral organizations, 
        including the GAVI Alliance and UNICEF, that demonstrate 
        effectiveness and commitment to improving the health of 
        newborns, children, and mothers;
            ``(2) carried out with input by host countries, including 
        civil society and local communities, as well as other donors 
        and multilateral organizations;
            ``(3) carried out with input by beneficiaries and other 
        directly affected populations, especially women and 
        marginalized communities; and
            ``(4) designed to build the capacity of host country 
        governments and civil society organizations.
    ``(d) Annual Report.--Not later than January 31 of each year, the 
President shall transmit to Congress a report on the implementation of 
this section for the prior fiscal year.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) AIDS.--The term `AIDS' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 104A(g)(1) of this Act.
            ``(2) HIV.--The term `HIV' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 104A(g)(2) of this Act.
            ``(3) HIV/AIDS.--The term `HIV/AIDS' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 104A(g)(3) of this Act.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 104(c)(2) (as redesignated by subsection 
        (a)(1)(B) of this section), by striking ``and 104C'' and 
        inserting ``104C, and 104D'';
            (2) in section 104A--
                    (A) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``and 
                section 104D'' after ``section 104(c)''; and
                    (B) in subsection (f), by striking ``section 
                104(c), this section, section 104B, and section 104C'' 
                and inserting ``section 104(c), this section, section 
                104B, section 104C, and section 104D'';
            (3) in subsection (c) of section 104B, by inserting ``and 
        section 104D'' after ``section 104(c)'';
            (4) in subsection (c) of section 104C, by inserting ``and 
        section 104D'' after ``section 104(c)''; and
            (5) in the first sentence of section 119(c), by striking 
        ``section 104(c)(2), relating to Child Survival Fund'' and 
        inserting ``section 104D''.

SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGY TO REDUCE MORTALITY AND IMPROVE THE 
              HEALTH OF NEWBORNS, CHILDREN, AND MOTHERS IN DEVELOPING 
              COUNTRIES.

    (a) Development of Strategy.--The President shall develop and 
implement a comprehensive strategy to improve the health of newborns, 
children, and mothers in developing countries.
    (b) Components.--The comprehensive United States Government 
strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the 
following:
            (1) An identification of not less than 60 countries with 
        priority needs for the 5-year period beginning on the date of 
        the enactment of this Act based on--
                    (A) the number and rate of neonatal deaths;
                    (B) the number and rate of child deaths; and
                    (C) the number and rate of maternal deaths.
            (2) For each country identified in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) an assessment of the most common causes of 
                newborn, child, and maternal mortality;
                    (B) a description of the programmatic areas and 
                interventions providing maximum health benefits to 
                populations at risk and maximum reduction in mortality;
                    (C) an assessment of the investments needed in 
                identified programs and interventions to achieve the 
                greatest results;
                    (D) a description of how United States assistance 
                complements and leverages efforts by other donors and 
                builds capacity and self-sufficiency among recipient 
                countries; and
                    (E) a description of goals and objectives for 
                improving newborn, child, and maternal health, 
                including, to the extent feasible, objective and 
                quantifiable indicators.
            (3) An expansion of the Child Survival and Health Grants 
        Program of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, at least proportionate to any increase in child 
        and maternal health assistance, to provide additional support 
        programs and interventions determined to be efficacious and 
        cost-effective.
            (4) Enhanced coordination among relevant departments and 
        agencies of the United States Government engaged in activities 
        to improve the health and well-being of newborns, children, and 
        mothers in developing countries.
            (5) A description of the measured or estimated impact on 
        child morbidity and mortality of each project or program.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to Congress a 
report that contains the strategy described in this section.

SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON CHILD SURVIVAL AND MATERNAL HEALTH IN 
              DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be known 
as the Interagency Task Force on Child Survival and Maternal Health in 
Developing Countries (in this section referred to as the ``Task 
Force'').
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall assess, monitor, and 
        evaluate the progress and contributions of relevant departments 
        and agencies of the United States Government in achieving MDGs 
        4 and 5 in developing countries, including by--
                    (A) identifying and evaluating programs and 
                interventions that directly or indirectly contribute to 
                the reduction of child and maternal mortality rates;
                    (B) assessing effectiveness of programs, 
                interventions, and strategies toward achieving the 
                maximum reduction of child and maternal mortality 
                rates;
                    (C) assessing the level of coordination among 
                relevant departments and agencies of the United States 
                Government, the international community, international 
                organizations, faith-based organizations, academic 
                institutions, and the private sector;
                    (D) assessing the contributions made by United 
                States-funded programs toward achieving MDGs 4 and 5;
                    (E) identifying the bilateral efforts of other 
                nations and multilateral efforts toward achieving MDGs 
                4 and 5; and
                    (F) preparing the annual report required by 
                subsection (f).
            (2) Consultation.--To the maximum extent practicable, the 
        Task Force shall consult with individuals with expertise in the 
        matters to be considered by the Task Force who are not officers 
        or employees of the United States Government, including 
        representatives of United States-based nongovernmental 
        organizations (including faith-based organizations and private 
        foundations), academic institutions, private corporations, the 
        United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Bank.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Task Force shall be 
        composed of the following members:
                    (A) The Administrator of the United States Agency 
                for International Development.
                    (B) The Assistant Secretary of State for 
                Population, Refugees and Migration.
                    (C) The Coordinator of United States Government 
                Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally.
                    (D) The Director of the Office of Global Health 
                Affairs of the Department of Health and Human Services.
                    (E) The Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and 
                Consumer Services of the Department of Agriculture.
                    (F) The Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium 
                Challenge Corporation.
                    (G) Other officials of relevant departments and 
                agencies of the Federal Government who shall be 
                appointed by the President.
                    (H) Two ex officio members appointed by the Speaker 
                of the House of Representatives in consultation with 
                the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
                    (I) Two ex officio members appointed by the 
                Majority Leader of the Senate in consultation with the 
                Minority Leader of the Senate.
            (2) Chairperson.--The Administrator of the United States 
        Agency for International Development shall serve as chairperson 
        of the Task Force.
    (d) Meetings.--The Task Force shall meet on a regular basis, not 
less often than quarterly, on a schedule to be agreed upon by the 
members of the Task Force, and starting not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (e) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``Millennium 
Development Goals'' means the key development objectives described in 
the United Nations Millennium Declaration, as contained in United 
Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/2 (September 2000).
    (f) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and not later than April 30 of each year 
thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to Congress and the President a 
report on the implementation of this section.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, $600,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2008, $900,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $1,200,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2010, and $1,600,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 and 
2012.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) are authorized to 
remain available until expended.
                                 <all>