SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Department of Public Health said it was informed that the Trump Administration is terminating grants nationwide that had been already awarded to support the ongoing work to protect the public from infectious diseases.
The department said that the termination pulls back $125 million in funding for IDPH and 97 local public health departments, which had been allocated by IDPH for the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Disease program and other uses.
“This decision to terminate already awarded federal funding will cause immeasurable harm and disruption to the health and safety of the people of Illinois and generate larger expenses in the longer run,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The State of Illinois will do everything in our power to restore this vital federal funding and continue to invest in common sense public health solutions to keep our state safe and healthy.”
IDPH allocated the targeted funds for technology to track the spread of diseases, invest in labs that test samples for infectious diseases, surveil wastewater, build the public health workforce, and strengthen local health departments.
“While IDPH has been preparing for anticipated federal budget cuts, the termination of this awarded funding will have a debilitating impact on our efforts to protect the health of Illinoisans,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “If allowed to stand, this funding cut will set back critical upgrades to our public health labs, technology used to track infectious diseases like H5N1 avian flu and measles, vaccination efforts, and our ongoing work to better prepare for the next public health emergency.”
The funding cut affects IDPH and 97 local health department operations not only in the current fiscal year ending June 30, but well into the next two state fiscal years.
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