WASHINGTON, DC — Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), released the following statement on reports from the Gavi Pledging Summit in Brussels that Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to end U.S. support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance:

Secretary Kennedy’s call to cut off U.S. support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is dangerous and undermines decades of bipartisan U.S. leadership in global health. At a time when the world’s deadliest diseases are just a plane ride away, pulling the plug on one of America’s most cost-effective tools to save lives, bolster global health security, and stop pandemics before they reach our shores directly undermines the health of Americans here at home.

For over two decades, Gavi has been a cornerstone of American global health leadership — saving the lives of more than 17 million children, leveraging billions in burden sharing from other donors, and helping halt infectious diseases in their tracks. Support for Gavi is how America not only wins in the world but also keeps our citizens healthy.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have consistently supported Gavi’s lifesaving work. That backing has been reflected in decades of bipartisan appropriations, strong leadership from the Congressional Global Health Caucus, and the repeated introduction of bicameral, bipartisan resolutions.

In May, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) defended the program, “Without the U.S. doing what it’s traditionally done in this program, Gavi will be unable to vaccinate 75 million of the 500 million children it traditionally has reached every year… that’s going to lead to preventable deaths, like tuberculosis and pneumonia.”

Earlier this month, Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) stated, “By providing cost-effective and sustainable vaccine distribution, Gavi reinforces the global commitment to safeguarding the health of children around the world.” Representative Gabe Amo (D-RI) also noted, “Promoting American leadership in the fight to eradicate preventable diseases is an issue that can — and should — transcend the political aisle.”

Pulling the plug on Gavi doesn’t just put millions of children at risk — it ultimately puts Americans at risk. This is the moment for America to lead — not retreat.