Obama pledges $63 billion to fight world diseases

US President Barack Obama has pledged to spend $63 billion (£41.9 billion) to tackle global diseases over the next six years.

The Obama administration has pointed out that it intends to focus on reducing the impact of AIDS, malaria, maternal and child mortality, TB and other preventable diseases.

President Obama stated: "We cannot fix every problem, but we have a responsibility to protect the health of our people, while saving lives, reducing suffering, and supporting the health and dignity of people everywhere.

"America can make a significant difference in meeting these challenges and that is why my administration is committed to act."

Jack Lew, deputy secretary of state, added that the move represents another step in the fight against "poverty, food insecurity and disease with solutions that will leave behind the tools to sustain long-term progress".

However, Dr Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance, suggested that the new budget does not go far enough and "essentially flat-lines support for global health".

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