HHS Announces $75 Million in Supplemental Pandemic Preparedness Funding
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt recently announced that the department is making available another $75 million to states, territories, and four metropolitan areas to help strengthen their capacity to respond to a pandemic influenza outbreak.
"The additional funding will provide our nation's health care community with a means to continue planning, training, and acquiring needed equipment for an effective pandemic response," Leavitt said. "It will also help keep the momentum we have generated over the past year in this important public health area."
The supplemental funding will be used to:
- Establish or enhance stockpiles of critical medical equipment and supplies;
- Continue development of plans for maintenance, distribution and sharing of those resources;
- Plan for and develop pandemic alternate care sites; and
- Conduct medical surge exercises.
The one-time pandemic influenza response planning grants will supplement the $430 million HHS announced on June 28, 2007, to strengthen the ability of hospitals and other health care facilities to respond to bioterror attacks, infectious diseases, and natural disasters that may cause mass casualties.
For more information on state and local funding allocations, go to www.pandemicflu.gov/news/allocation.html. More information on pandemic flu preparedness efforts are available at www.pandemicflu.gov.