United States: Public health along with mental health services and substance use treatment funding exceeds USD 160 million in Washington state due to Trump administration budget cuts on federal agencies.
Public Health Funding Slashed
The Department of Health received an immediate termination notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding multiple pandemic grants, which totaled at least USD 130 million, according to Marisol Mata Somarribas, who speaks for the department.
Public health systems protected through these grants provide essential features for disease surveillance and infection control, which develops vaccines for both COVID and other respiratory viruses.
These public health system IT platforms receive funding from the grant system.
The New York Times revealed that nationwide, the CDC eliminated federal grants totaling USD 11.4 billion, seattletimes.com reported.
State health department workers, alongside their partner organizations, number more than 200 employees who face job interruptions due to funding budget cuts, Mata Somarribas mentioned.
The Health Department is presently evaluating the budget effects of these cuts while promising to inform the public about new developments as they happen, she stated.
According to the former state Health Secretary Dr. Umair Shah, “The reality is that, when we take funding away from public health systems, the systems just do not have the capacity because they’re chronically underfunded over the decades,” the New York Times reported.
Senator Patty Murray from Washington defended the state the following day by arguing funding reductions would limit disease response abilities and hamper access to mental wellness treatment as well as substance use care.
Setback to Mental Health & Addiction Services
According to spokesperson Kennedy Soileau, the state Health Care Authority will lose an additional USD 34 million in funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, as he informed the public during afternoon hours on Wednesday.
Through these funds, the state-funded both community-based mental health programs and local substance use prevention treatments with treatment and recovery services.
Two grants originating from the massive 2021 American Rescue Plan Act Stimulus package got canceled.
The Health Care Authority of Washington acquired grants that focused on supporting patients with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.