State Official Asks for Bioterror Readiness Funds

North Carolina’s top public health official told U.S. lawmakers yesterday that states continue to need federal assistance to prepare for bioterrorism-related health crises, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, March 9).

“It's about early detection and rapid response. The threats are not going away,” Leah Devlin, North Carolina Public Health Division director and president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, told a Senate committee.

Devlin made her comments at a hearing on the renewal of the $4.3 billion Bioterrorism Act of 2002. Some state leaders fear that federal funding will decrease as the 2001 terrorist attacks recede further into the past, according to AP.

For example, North Carolina received $24.6 million in 2003 and $17 million last year. Another cut of 15 percent is expected in 2006.

This money is used for terrorism preparedness as well as preparation for naturally occurring diseases, AP reported.

“Now is not the time to be backing up,” Devlin said.

“We use this work every day in North Carolina,” she added. “All of these investments are not one-time. They require a sustained commitment” (Associated Press/Charlotte Observer, March 17).

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