The U.S. house of Representatives is being urged by the American Public Health Association (APHA) to reject a proposal that would significantly reduce the amount of funding the Prevention and Public Health Fund receives.
Alan Baker, interim executive director of APHA, explains:
“Dramatic cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund is a lose-lose solution. Moving the current health care system even farther downstream by repealing critically needed investments in prevention and public health programs would be absolutely devastating to the nation’s health. It would also place a greater financial burden on an already strained system. This is a senseless and purely raw political moves.”
The Prevention and Public Health Fund represents an unprecedented investment of mandatory funding for public health and prevention efforts. The fund backs attempts to promote early detection, prevention, and reduce the severity of chronic diseases.
In the U.S. each year chronic diseases account for 7 out of 10 deaths. The fund is allocated to ensure drinking-water is safe, protect Americans from infectious diseases and outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, and to increase capacity of state and local health department in communities throughout the United States.
Baker said:
“Today’s proposed cuts would effectively pull the rug out from under local communities where we’re already seeing critical public health funding at work. We call on the House to not let shortsighted political wrangling take precedence over improving Americans’ health.”
On December 15, an advocacy day co-sponsored by the American Public Health Association will be held on Capitol Hill in order to encourage members of Congress to protect the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
In addition, the proposal threatens to restrain a ruling by the U.S. Environmental Protection to considerably lower toxic air pollutants like mercury and soot discharged by incinerators and industrial boilers. According to APHA these crucial air quality standards must be finalized and would offer vitally important and long overdue public health protections.
Written by Grace Rattue