Friend –
As Congress departs for the July 4th recess, I wanted to share a quick item. An influential group of faith leaders just sent a powerful message to Congress to support “critical emergency resources” for the international response to COVID-19. This is a timely and powerful statement.
- The letter to Congressional leadership – signed by 36 national faith leaders – states: “We implore you to take urgent action to support a robust international response to addressing the impacts of COVID-19 as part of any new emergency funding legislation.”
- Click here for the exclusive story on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) with David Brody and his interview with Sean Callahan of Catholic Relief Services.
- The message from these leaders comes at a critical moment as the White House and Congress are expected to turn to negotiations right after the July 4th recess – just as Latin America and Africa are reporting record increases of the virus alongside the U.S.
On a related front, concerns continue as momentum is being lost against other diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, measles, and others.
- One example: Close to 30 countries had suspended measles campaigns because of COVID-19 and 18 are now reporting measles outbreaks.
- On the good news front: The nearly two-year Ebola outbreak in Congo has finally been declared over after 42 days since the last patient was released from a treatment center. This was the tenth and deadliest outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, yet health workers are now battling a separate smaller Ebola outbreak hundreds of miles away that started last month.
Next week, I’m looking forward to participating in the International AIDS Conference – 20,000 participants strong – hosting a virtual conversation on the remarkable PEPFAR initiative and what we can learn as the world tackles today’s global pandemic. I’ll report back on this and much more after the holiday break.
More soon.
Best,
Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC
