Research!America Urges Strong Funding for CDC, State and Local Health Departments
WASHINGTON—November 19, 2009—In recognition of Public Health Thank You Day on November 23, Research!America and the leading U.S. public health organizations praised our nation's public health officials for keeping us safe from injury and protecting us from infectious diseases including the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu, chronic illnesses, pandemics and bioterrorism.
According to a new Research!America poll, nearly half of Americans would like to see an increase in funding for core programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation's leading public health research, prevention and preparedness agency.
The Honorable John Edward Porter, Research!America's chair, said, "CDC is the lead coordinator in our national response to H1N1. Yet CDC and our state and local health departments are not funded at the level needed to enable them to protect our nation's health against H1N1 and other public health threats."
Mary Woolley, Research!America's president and CEO, said, "We join the Campaign for Public Health in urging Congress to invest in our nation's public health infrastructure by including a well-funded mandatory prevention trust in health reform."
In the Research!America poll, 72% of Americans say it is very important to include strategies to prevent disease and promote wellness in health reform.
Research!America, the American Public Health Association (APHA), the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH) and the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) urge all Americans to recognize their federal, state and local "public health heroes" on November 23.
Research!America, joined by APHA, ASPH, ASTHO, NAHH and NACCHO, launched Public Health Thank You Day in 2005 as a coordinated way to salute public health officials. To find ways that you can take part in Public Health Thank You Day, visit www.researchamerica.org/ph_thank_you.
Research!America is the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by 500 member organizations that represent the voices of 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.