The United States must continue to provide malaria aid. Investments are paid for themselves

President Donald Trump has the right to question the value of US foreign aid. I know what I did. When I first arrived in Parliament in 2013, “removing foreign aid” was my rally’s cry.

But I quickly learned from bipartisan parliamentary delegations to Africa and Latin America that not all aid programs are bad. I have gone from skeptics to followers in very little time and have become a strong advocate for effective aid programs that will advance our national interests.

One program that really stood out to me was our malaria prevention initiative. Long before Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that foreign aid in America must make America safer, stronger and more prosperous, our malaria aid did just that.

Preventing malaria will nurture the American economy, protect US taxpayers, and bolster American businesses. Putting a country on the path to eradication of malaria will improve productivity and economic growth, creating a stronger market for US goods and services. Investing in malaria prevention is much cheaper than responding to outbreaks or treating advanced cases. US investment reduces the long-term financial burden of illness and saves American taxpayers money.

As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I can confidently say that malaria aid will strengthen America’s position worldwide and help maintain the alliance by seeking help from hostile enemies like China. We know that China’s Communist Party only wants to fill the void left by American humanistic hideouts overseas. More than just a health program, malaria aid is an important tool that undermines CCP’s ability to spread ideology.

Speaking of health, the benefits to Americans are substantial. For one, global efforts to combat malaria are protecting thousands of American fighters in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia at risk of contracting illness. Our military must be ready to deploy globally as needed. This means developing and procuring the best medical measures available to protect our military. And there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be done in America in a lab, working with American companies.

Secondly, fighting malaria overseas means that you won’t be fighting it here. Without a doubt, malaria is a threat to Americans at home. Over 30 states have mosquitoes that can spread disease, and for many years malaria was prevalent in most of the eastern, southeastern and midwest regions of the United States, but was eradicated in 1951, but just two years ago, Sarasota County experienced a locally transmitted malaria infection. The US also sees approximately 2,000 malaria cases each year from international travel. Without efforts to prevent malaria overseas, we could have experienced malaria outbreaks in the United States.

As I have said recently, the Trump administration is 100% correct to target wasteful US foreign aid programs that do not advance America’s greatest interests. For years, the US has been trying to do too much in too many places.

The question before Congress is how to design the future of international support in the United States. Change is needed to rebuild foreign aid through the first American lens, while maintaining the strategic values ​​and goodwill that programs like malaria create for our country.

Congress must pass legislation that requires reviews of bilateral and multilateral aid. Programs must be maintained that meet the Trump administration’s standards for foreign aid. A program that doesn’t go.

All countries receiving foreign aid must embark on their journey to independence, and we must focus our efforts to make the most impact. This could include a “compact” style approach that provides a clear exit for the US over the years, requiring the country to significantly increase its own spending on malaria.

Despite significant cuts to most US foreign aid programs this year, I encourage the administration to allow lifesaving programs like work to combat malaria. The truth is, programs like our efforts on malaria demonstrate American leadership and value, promote economic stability, protect Americans from illness, and reduce the ability of enemies like China to increase their influence in the world.

Trump has the opportunity to be the president who lowers the global burden of malaria and secures full American borders from malaria. There is technology and know-how. What is needed is a political will to ensure that the fight against malaria remains a pillar of America’s improved foreign aid strategy.

Ted Yoho represented Florida’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. During that time, he chaired the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee from 2017 to 2019. He co-chairs the development reform consensus.