At the highest levels, the US Government is taking a close look at what brings the greatest return on its investment in foreign aid. 

We agree with the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) that the best investment is a health investment.

An alliance of more than two dozen non-profits, the GHTC is at its heart an educator, bringing evidence and expertise to US policymakers about the innovations that will change the face of health worldwide—innovations like new vaccines, microbicides, drugs, and diagnostics that will make their greatest impact in poor countries where health is a right, but not always a reality.

These organizations have the ear of Capitol Hill, most recently through an op-ed last week featuring the GHTC's call for smart investment in the most promising health technologies. The authors, including PATH's President and CEO Chris Elias and Seth Berkley, President, CEO, and Founder of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, outline their must-haves for the best use of US foreign aid dollars, including private-sector research, and call for forging an unbreakable link between investment in health and global development.

According to a presidential mandate to take a hard look at how the US can help achieve the greatest impact on worldwide progress, “game-changing innovations” will rule the day. GHTC is illuminating that US know-how is key to making new  life-saving advances rapidly available where they are needed most. And even beyond the technology, we have a tremendous opportunity today to improve health, and consequently social and economic prospects around the world.  Now, that would be a real game-changer.