An endeavor to advance public health emergency preparedness coaxes the HHS to award $613 million
In a challenge to advance USA’s public health emergency preparedness, the US Dept of Health and Human Services (HSS) has awarded a whopping $613,610,342 to 50 states, 8 US territories and Pacific Island areas, and 4 major metropolitan areas.
The Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement is managed and administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is part of HHS. In addition to other actions focused on protecting communities in health emergency situations, the CDC backs the state, local, and territorial health authorities in attaining 15 health preparedness capabilities.
The director of CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Ali S. Khan, M.D., said: “State and local public health departments have made tremendous advances in public health preparedness and response since the 9- 11 terrorist attacks. The terrorist attacks highlighted the importance of health security and the need to expand the federal government’s investments in state and local public health preparedness. These funds work to secure the nation from all public health threats.”
As far as laboratory testing is concerned, the CDC report on preparedness states that a significant advancement has been made to progress the response capabilities and public health preparedness of the country.
The country has also witnessed advances in dispensing medical assets from sources including the Strategic National Stockpile.
Advances in public health preparedness, as per the new PHEP cooperative agreement, will focus upon the following: Community preparedness, Emergency operations coordination, Emergency public information and warning, Medical countermeasure dispensing, Public health laboratory testing, Public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation, and Responder safety and health.
The HHS states that new strategies learnt during the recent H1N1 influenza pandemic response have been put into practice by the PHEP cooperative agreement. Both at state and local emergency levels, health departments have been persuaded to develop and implement effective response strategies.
In an effort to build up public health strategies, medical, mental/behavioral risk assessments, and risk mitigation, funds are also awarded to 10 urban areas by the cooperative agreement.
Fiscal Year 2011 Funding Awardees as per CDC PHEP Cooperative Agreement are as follows:
• Alabama – $8,633,983
• Alaska – $5,177,600
• American Samoa – $374,003
• Arizona – $11,894,861
• Arkansas – $6,469,981
• California – $41,661,534
• Chicago – $10,409,823
• Colorado – $9,397,930
• Connecticut – $7,553,479
• Delaware – $5,422,932
• District of Columbia – $6,730,903
• Florida – $27,687,829
• Georgia – $15,653,814
• Guam – $501,200
• Hawaii – $5,260,290
• Idaho – $5,181,907
• Illinois – $16,845,953
• Indiana – $11,146,909
• Iowa – $6,595,869
• Kansas – $6,595,020
• Kentucky – $8,275,695
• Los Angeles County – $20,404,916
• Louisiana – $8,632,297
• Maine – $5,206,160
• Marshall Islands – $372,756
• Maryland – $11,057,196
• Massachusetts – $13,459,602
• Michigan – $16,543,509
• Micronesia – $421,144
• Minnesota – $10,842,711
• Mississippi – $6,565,242
• Missouri – $10,717,722
• Montana – $5,178,911
• Nebraska – $5,234,954
• Nevada – $6,585,802
• New Hampshire – $5,398,877
• New Jersey – $16,184,853
• New Mexico – $6,526,120
• New York – $19,284,669
• New York City – $19,243,835
• North Carolina – $14,020,450
• North Dakota – $5,180,405
• Northern Mariana Islands – $358,054
• Ohio – $17,618,925
• Oklahoma – $7,509,542
• Oregon – $7,829,790
• Palau – $323,450
• Pennsylvania – $19,774,638
• Puerto Rico – $7,473,561
• Rhode Island – $5,302,058
• South Carolina – $9,308,851
• South Dakota – $5,169,600
• Tennessee – $10,845,628
• Texas – $37,545,665
• Utah – $6,464,082
• Vermont – $5,192,031
• Virgin Islands (U.S.) – $423,822
• Virginia – $14,483,987
• Washington – $11,711,066
• West Virginia – $5,336,731
• Wisconsin – $11,235,615
• Wyoming – $5,169,600
• TOTAL FY 2011 PHEP FUNDING – $613,610,342