Arizona loses $190 million in federal grants for public health initiatives
Arizona officials recently learned the state is losing $190 million in public health grants as part of widespread reductions in federal spending.
Watch: Gov. Katie Hobbs announces she WILL NOT debate Andy Biggs: Should we care? | 9 mins
PHOENIX – Arizona officials recently learned the state is losing $190 million in public health grants as part of widespread reductions in federal spending.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was notified about the cuts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, a day after the grants were canceled. The CDC is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The funding had been committed to several multiyear Arizona public health projects involving about 270 contracts with local organizations throughout the state, ADHS announced Friday.
The following grants — which were meant to improve the state’s infectious disease detection, response, prevention and control capabilities – were terminated, officials said:
- COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant.
- Three COVID-related sub grants within the Immunizations and Vaccines For Children Program Grant.
- Four COVID-related sub grants within the Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity Grant.
One result of the cuts is that a project to improve the state’s MEDSIS disease surveillance system was halted, ADHS said.
Arizona public health advocate calls cuts ‘a big blow’
Will Humble, executive director for the Arizona Public Health Association (APHA) and a former ADHS director, called the funding loss “a big blow to Arizona’s public health system.”
“With vital programs cut and surveillance tools stalled, the state will be ill-equipped to face future health crises,” Humble wrote Sunday on his APHA blog. “These changes are not just a setback — they are a direct threat to public health and well-being in Arizona.”
Federal government cuts billions in COVID-related grants nationwide
Last week, federal health officials announced they are pulling back $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related funds for state and local public health departments nationwide.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” HHS said in a statement.
In another recent move by the Trump administration involving public health, the National Institutes of Health moved to slash certain payments to universities and other research institutions. Arizona is part of a multistate lawsuit filed last month attempting to stop that action.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related
Arizona joins lawsuit to stop Trump research funding cuts that could cost state millions
Maricopa County drives nation-leading West Nile virus outbreak with 47 cases, 5 deaths
Park City-based fitness, retail and social space celebrates grand opening in Phoenix
Department of Health confirms first case of Clade I mpox in Arizona but says public risk low
Maricopa County announces 6 new measles exposure sites in Chandler, Phoenix
Maricopa County reports 7 new measles cases, bringing total to 21
Comments
32 Comments
lol, the SPR (Strategic Petroleum Reserve) currently has 396.4 million barrels of petroleum in storage. That's 54.5% of total capacity. Not empty. Not even close to empty. The information is readily available to the public (on the EIA's website, which somewhat remarkably hasn't been deleted yet) but you choose to lie. And yes, COVID research benefits everyone, even you.
Fact is... these programs are unsustainable... the U.S. is drowning in debt. A modicum of frugality is certainly called for; hopefully there is more to come.
lol, that's absolute nonsense. You're lying. The lowest quintile (that means lowest 20% so you can understand the discussion) saw a % increase in after tax income of just 0.4%. Less than one half of one percent. Those in the upper 6% of income in the US, saw in increase in their after tax income of over 3.2%. The entire tax cut (as with the renewal in 2025) is designed to further enrich those at the top, to the tune of more than 8x the gain lower income households see.
Additionally the largest cuts at the IRS have been in the group which audits billionaire tax cheats. 35% of that group has been fired. Why gut the group who goes after the wealthiest tax cheats unless you're trying to help them break the law (while the rest of us foot the bill for everything)?
You can continue to parrot the lies coming out of Republican mouths but the American public isn't buying them anymore.