NRHA Statement on Rescission of CDC Funds
Today, NRHA issued the following statement regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decision to rescind over $11 billion in funds:
"The decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rescind over $11.4 billion in public health funding presents an urgent crisis for rural America, where the public health infrastructure is already underfunded and overstretched. These cuts come as rural communities prepare for a worsening measles outbreak and battle the ongoing threat of avian influenza, two crises that demand a well-supported, robust public health response.
Rural areas suffer from higher disease burdens, lower vaccination rates, and fragile health infrastructure, leaving them uniquely vulnerable to the consequences of public health disinvestment. Inadequate funding and a lack of workforce capacity have long hampered the ability of rural public health departments to respond to crises. While the 20% of Americans living in rural areas face the same leading causes of death as the rest of the country, they are more likely to die prematurely due to persistent underinvestment.
To help address these challenges, NRHA worked with Congress to establish the Office of Rural Public Health at the CDC in the fiscal year 2023 appropriations bill, ensuring that rural health needs were prioritized in federal public health initiatives. However, this progress is now in jeopardy. The loss of federal support now risks undoing recent progress in strengthening rural public health preparedness.
Rural local health departments rely on federal funds to maintain disease surveillance, vaccination programs, and emergency response coordination. NRHA urges Members and staff to act swiftly in restoring these funds, ensuring that rural America is not left behind in the face of growing public health threats." - Alan Morgan, CEO
Please use our rural stories campaign to share how this decision will impact your rural community. Contact Alexa McKinley Abel with any questions or concerns.