Report: Funding cuts put public health preparedness at risk

Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concluded the nation's public health capacity is being undermined by funding cuts to state and local health departments.

National Journal: Funding Cuts Threaten Public Health Disaster Preparedness, Study Finds
Public health funding cuts are undermining programs that protect Americans from infectious disease outbreaks, bioterrorist attacks, and natural disasters, according to a Trust for America's Health report released on Tuesday  (Quinton, 12/20).

CQ HealthBeat: Cuts Weaken Nation's Ability To Deliver Care In Public Health Emergencies, Report Warns
The health system's capacity to deliver treatment to the public in emergencies such as bioterrorism attacks and pandemics is at risk because of funding cuts to state and local public health departments, warned a report issued Tuesday by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It added that federally funded programs are eroding as well. The report also calls into question how ready the nation would be in case of natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes. Fifteen states have cut public health funds three years in a row (Norman, 12/20).

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: U.S. Disaster Readiness At Risk, Report Warns
A disturbing report released Tuesday on America's readiness to respond to disease outbreaks, natural disasters or acts of bioterrorism says federal budget cuts affecting all levels of government have put the nation at risk. Preparedness was on an upward trajectory after the Sept. 11 and anthrax attacks, but the nation's economic crisis is "eroding a decade's worth of progress," according to the ninth annual report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Herzog, 12/20).