The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced awards of nearly $110 million to help states and communities strengthen their capacity to track and respond to infectious diseases. The awards represent an increase of about $13 million over fiscal year 2014 funding, with increases going to vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, foodborne disease prevention, and advanced molecular detection, among other projects.
This year’s funding includes $17.4 million for foodborne disease prevention and tracking—a $4-million increase over fiscal year 2014 funding. Funding includes increased support for the PulseNet surveillance system and outbreak response and for the Integrated Food Safety Centers of Excellence to establish a new Northeast Regional center.
“In the last year alone, states were hit with emerging diseases, like chikungunya and respiratory infections from enterovirus D-68, while also responding to outbreaks of measles, foodborne illness, and other threats. These awards lay the foundation for those on the front lines—state and local health departments—to act quickly to prevent illness and deaths," said Beth P. Bell, M.D., MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
The funding is allocated through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Cooperative Agreement (ELC), with a goal of helping states fight infectious disease outbreaks more quickly and develop better interventions to protect the public’s health. Of the nearly $110 million, $51 million is provided through the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund.