CDC to send $176 million to 48 partners to strengthen U.S. public health system
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday more than $176 million in funding is being provided to 48 public health partners to strengthen the U.S. public health system. File Photo by James Gathany/ Wikimedia Commons
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday more than $176 million in funding is being provided to 48 public health partners to strengthen the U.S. public health system.
The grants will help support state, local, territorial and health departments, as well as tribal organizations, academic and private sector partners to improve their ability to serve the public.
“CDC’s public health partners are critical to building trust with communities and providing the essential services and capacity needed to face health threats,” said CDC Director Mandy Cohen in a statement.
The money announced Wednesday is the first in a five-year funding cycle, according to the CDC.
“By working together with our valued partners, we can build a resilient public health system capable of addressing evolving challenges,” said CDC Public Health Infrastructure Center Dr. Leslie Ann Dauphin in a statement. “These awards will help build a strong public health infrastructure with enhanced ability to detect and control diseases, promote healthy lifestyles, and provide essential healthcare services to all communities.”
CDC said it is intended to increase the ability of the public health workforce to “deliver essential services, improve organizational and systems capacity and capability building to address health priorities, and advance the nation’s public health infrastructure and performance.”
The funding is part of the National Partners Cooperative Agreement. It began in 2008.
Since then, the CDC has awarded more than $2.5 billion to over 70 public health partners.
Among the programs supported by the funding are developing a rural public health curriculum for public health professionals and students, and strengthening the infrastructure and capacity of state, territorial, and local health departments to investigate, analyze, and share data on drug overdoses to enhance surveillance efforts.
The money will also be used to create a tool and best practices to assist community-serving organizations work with schools and parents to improve comprehensive support for adolescent mental health, according to the CDC.