[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE MULTILATERAL BENEFITS OF GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND 
                              DEVELOPMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2012

  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, to ensure our nation's 
competitiveness in the global arena and spur business development and 
expansion, it is clearly in our nation's interest to ensure robust 
federal funding for global health research. We are an innovation 
economy, and the basic research that federal funding makes possible 
sews the seeds for the later stage and private sector discoveries that 
attract philanthropic and venture capital dollars. And global health 
research is a priority for the American people. According to a May 2011 
poll commissioned by Research!America, 74% of Georgians say that global 
health research is important to the economy.
  As we consider federal funding for medical research, it is important 
to keep in mind that investment in global health research brings a rich 
return to the United States.
  Throughout the United States, investment in global health leads to 
industry. In my home state of Georgia, successful start-ups like Geovax 
are breaking new ground in global HIV/AIDS research. Funding from the 
National Institutes of Health helped Geovax get off the ground, and now 
it is an employer that contributes to Georgia's economy and to 
improving global health. With global health powerhouses including the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Task Force for Global 
Health, The Carter Center, and CARE all based in Georgia, along with 
the world class scientists within our university system, Georgia is 
positioned to become a world leader for global health.
  In this age of globalization, when intercontinental travel is a daily 
occurrence for thousands of people worldwide, treating communicable 
diseases in other countries is a must for preventing their widespread 
occurrence here in the United States. We have witnessed several times 
this past decade how easily diseases travel, as evidenced by the quick 
spread of SARS, avian flu and pandemic H1N1 flu from other countries to 
the western world. The spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR 
TB) is also of great concern, as infected individuals can be 
asymptomatic for years and still transmit the disease. Currently, 
infectious diseases cost the U.S. $120 billion a year. By funding 
global health research programs dedicated to the prevention and 
eradication of communicable diseases in emerging economies, the United 
States is investing in its own immediate and long-term health, and 
saving on health care costs for treatment.
  The landmark government initiative PEPFAR (U.S. President's Emergency 
Plan for AIDS Relief), is showing strong returns. Publicly funded 
researchers have identified and designed a multitude of preventive 
measures that reduce the risk of HIV transmission. Recent clinical 
trials demonstrated that combination antiretroviral treatments 
(developed by U.S. based pharmaceutical companies) can reduce the risk 
of HIV transmission by up to 96%. Deploying preventive measures in some 
of the highest risk countries around the world will certainly help 
reduce the spread of HIV. These measures will also help reduce the 
spread of HIV in the United States, where approximately 40,000 people 
per year are diagnosed, costing the U.S. a projected $12.1 billion in 
lifetime medical expenses.
  Investment in global health research and development today will help 
produce a healthy, competitive and innovative economy tomorrow. At the 
same time, such research helps to protect Americans, reduce health care 
costs and meet our nation's foreign policy goals. And investing in 
global research is a means of saving lives and preventing disability in 
impoverished nations--it is an immensely powerful form of 
humanitarianism that can help millions of people throughout the world 
now and in the future. As we map out strategies for promoting the U.S. 
economy, we must not falter in our investment in medical research that 
surely includes research devoted to combating global illnesses. We must 
capitalize on opportunities for NIH, CDC, FDA, USAID and DOD to support 
global health research--for the benefit of Americans and the global 
community of which we are a part.

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