Global Security Newswire

Seeking to improve the U.S. ability to detect disease outbreaks, including those caused by potential terrorist attacks, the Bush administration yesterday announced that it is asking Congress to at least double existing funding for such detection activities (see GSN, Sept. 26, 2003).

The administration will request $274 million for the effort, said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in a press briefing. If approved, Thompson’s department would receive $135 million, the Homeland Security Department would receive $129 million and the Agriculture Department would get $10 million (Jon Marino, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30).

“Whether bioagents are thrown at us by terrorists or by Mother Nature, our ability to respond quickly … will certainly save lives,” Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said at the briefing.

The administration wants to use the increased funds to more than double the number of air-monitoring, disease detection stations nationwide. Currently, under a Homeland Security Department program called Biowatch, more than 30 U.S. cities have detectors deployed, and the plan announced yesterday would both double the number of cities and improve the technology of the deployed detectors (see GSN, Nov. 17, 2003).

Ridge acknowledged that the existing system has been too slow and labor-intensive and has yielded too many false positives.

“It’s not fail-safe, scientifically or technologically, yet,” he said.

The Health and Human Services component of the funds would go toward improving laboratory capabilities and monitoring diseases by creating better systems for medical facilities to report possible indicators of a disease outbreak.

“This is going to allow us to get information on a daily basis from doctors, clinics and pharmacies. We’ve never been connected with clinics and hospitals and pharmacies across America,” Thompson said.

The Agriculture Department funds would be targeted toward improving “food and animal surveillance,” according to a joint statement released yesterday (Maggie Fox, Reuters/PlanetArk, Jan. 30).