Psyche, Science, and Society

Prepare for avian flu by slashing public health infrastructure?

March 25th, 2006

The Bush administration is very concerned about the avian flu danger. Their taking major steps to respond. Most recently, in order to prepare the country, they’re proposing massive cuts in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). What a creative way to respond to a possible pandemic. Who else would have thought of it? [See the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: CDC cuts could hurt bioterror effort. See also the California Healthcare Foundation: President Bush's Budget Plan To Cut CDC, HHS Funding; Increase for FDA, SCHIP]

To be fair, the proposed budget does allocate specific monies for avian flu. But cutting the already decimated public health infrastructure in this country is so far beyond perverse that I can’t think of words to describe it. Only the people who thought up the Iraq war and have a “Plan for Victory” in that war would even consider something so dangerous. This time, it may not be just Iraqis and the small minority of Americans in the Armed Forces who pay the price for their arrogance, incompetence and corruption, but all of us.

According to CHF, among the cuts are:

A 9% reduction in CDC’s budget to $6.9 billion;

A 12.6% spending reduction for public health emergency centers, which distribute medications and vaccines in the event of a bioterrorist attack [and presumably important in the event of a pandemic];

The elimination of a $131 million block grant for preventive health services that address “urgent health problems” affecting different states;

A 6.5% decrease in funding for a Public Health Service program that addresses chronic disease prevention and health promotion, including efforts to prevent and control obesity, to $841 million.

Thanks to Revere at Effect Measure for calling attention to this.

Entry Filed under: Avian flu, Public Health