HHS has awarded $698 million through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this fiscal year for public health agencies to strengthen their responses to terrorism or natural disasters.
Funding will be distributed to 62 public health agencies in 50 states, eight territories and the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement, which Congress authorized in 2002. More populous states received larger amounts than smaller states, with California receiving $49.3 million; Texas, about $43 million; and Florida, about $33.5 million.
The funds are intended to help states work toward goals that include addressing the public-health needs of at-risk individuals, such as children or people with chronic medical disorders in the event of a public health emergency; and developing measurable preparedness and response activities to strengthen community resilience and mitigate the health-related consequences of large-scale emergencies, the CDC said in a news release.
Since 2002, more than $7 billion has been provided to state and local health departments to help them respond to public health emergencies, according to the CDC. These funds are separate from the money that was allocated specifically for the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic response.
See the list (PDF).
