- The Biden administration warned Congress on Monday that the nation’s efforts to develop and stockpile key medicines for guarding against public health threats are underfunded by some $35 billion. Over the next five years, the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the U.S. will need $64 billion overall to fund the work of an array of agencies tasked with “medical countermeasures” for threats ranging from COVID-19 to nuclear attacks. The estimates released Tuesday are the first of its kind given to Congress since authorities dug deep into the nation’s stocks for responses to COVID-19, mpox, and Ebola. While the exact math of the shortfall could be slightly smaller after the latest budget passed by Congress, officials say there remains a wide gap between their needs and available money. (Article here)
March 29, 2023
Public Health/Prevention | Tea Leaves