Attention to health security among aid donors has skyrocketed in the past year. The United States has historically been the biggest funder in this area, investing $4 billion in grants and contracts before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has remained an important funder since then. Legislation currently making its way through Congress would provide guidance and funding for more robust U.S.-led efforts.
But health security is a nebulous category of funding. What it includes can vary between donors — covering anything from infectious diseases to biological weapons and poverty reduction — and is often unclear.
So how does the U.S. define health security in its global work, and where are these billions of dollars going? A deep dive into data provided through the Foreign Aid Explorer platform offers insights.