Washington, D.C., November 17, 2005
– The American Public Health Association today praised the U.S. House of Representatives for rejecting the fiscal year 2006 Labor-Health and Human Services Conference Report, which threatened to substantially harm public health. The bill would have cut total health funding by $376 million from FY 2005 funding levels, jeopardizing public health funding overall and eliminating critical programs such as rural emergency medical services, the VERB youth media campaign and trauma care.
“We thank the House for its wise decision to oppose further cuts to already underfunded public health programs,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “At a time when pandemic influenza, bioterrorism and chronic diseases threaten citizens’ health and welfare, it is paramount that we protect and promote the well-being of Americans. Now is the time to embolden, not weaken, our nation’s ability to prevent and respond to emerging infections and chronic diseases.”
APHA now urges the U.S. Senate to follow suit and urges Congress to improve public health funding levels, rather than issue a yearlong continuing resolution that could endanger health funding. Furthermore, APHA believes the conference report should include funding for pandemic influenza preparedness. The administration has requested emergency funding to protect Americans from a flu pandemic, and public health professionals warn that now is the time to prepare.
“At a time when the nation’s state and local health departments are already severely understaffed and being asked to do more, funding should be added, not excluded, to protect the lives of Americans,” said Benjamin. “Congress needs to do the right thing and approve the funding necessary to protect our nation’s health.”