Public support for development aid during the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• International Relations
• Development Economics

Background:

• Global pandemics pose significant risks to developing nations, especially when donor countries face domestic crises.
• Donor country aid reductions during crises can severely impact developing countries' public health capacity and healthcare demands.
• Citizen attitudes in donor democracies heavily influence aid commitments during global health emergencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic affected U.S. residents' attitudes toward development aid.
• To understand the factors influencing public support for foreign aid during a global health crisis.

Main Methods:

• Conducted two survey experiments with 887 U.S. residents.
• Assessed the impact of COVID-19 on aid attitudes based on financial concerns and perceived efficacy of aid in preventing domestic disease waves.

Main Results:

• Concern over domestic financial impact of COVID-19 reduced support for foreign aid.
• Framing aid as a tool to prevent future domestic disease waves significantly increased public support for aid.
• Simply highlighting the devastation in developing countries had minimal impact on aid attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Public support for development aid during pandemics is contingent on perceived self-interest, specifically its role in domestic health security.
• Advocacy for foreign aid should emphasize its benefits for preventing future domestic health crises to maintain donor support.
• Understanding citizen perspectives is crucial for sustaining development aid commitments during global health emergencies.