Former Florida Congressman Ted Yoho (R) stressed the importance on Thursday of U.S. anti-malaria funding under the Trump administration, particularly as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) looks to malign America's health interests throughout the world.
"We're on this planet with a lot of people. We're all intertwined or interconnected," Yoho said at the Hudson Institute. "I think you're all familiar with the Butterfly Effect - the ripple effect, how do you get away from that? Which programs do you give away?"
"The most insignificant thing sometimes is the most important thing. Foreign aid, you have to go ahead and make these programs. You have to look at them all. And the ones that aren't really moving us to make us stronger, safer, more prosperous," Yoho continued. "It's just not us, it's those countries we're investing in. I don't look at it as an expense if it's an efficient, effective program. I look at it as an investment."
The significance comes after Florida experienced a mini malaria outbreak in 2023. Rep. Yoho served District 3 from 2013 to 2021.
Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. While the disease has been suppressed, it still kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"There are millions of cases every year. And that leads to significant societal and economic disruption," former US Global Malaria Coordinator Ken Staley said. "That societal and economic disruption really is a negative for the world."
Staley mentioned that about 95% of malaria cases and deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also said about four countries account for half of the deaths: Nigeria, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania.
"There is a tremendous gain for a modern investment for the people of the world," Staley added.
Malaria was eliminated in the U.S. in 1951. The disease was eradicated in China in 2021.
The CCP has sought to paint the U.S. as a country that cannot be trusted in the global health market, particularly as it looks to extend itself as an economic power. The message brings added significance as the U.S. evaluates foreign aid and its position on health programs moving forward.
Congressman Yoho emphasized the importance of the U.S. establishing a strong foreign policy, particularly against the CCP in the future.
"If you have good foreign policy, it ties into good domestic policy. It ties extremely into trade policies," Yoho said. "And if you have those two things, that ties into strong national security. It's imperative that we do that."
"There's a competition going on. One is very authoritarian, where it's the Chinese Communist Party. It's the Communist Party. I know they like to talk about Socialism with Chinese characteristics, it's Communism," Yoho added. "That's one form that is being spread, and then there's the liberal democracy. That's the competition we're in."
