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HHS News
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2001
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

ADDITIONAL $1.5 BILLION PROPOSED TO COMBAT BIOTERRORISM

Emergency Request To Strengthen Nation’s Ability To Respond To Any Threat

President Bush’s $20 billion emergency relief budget request includes $1.5 billion for HHS to further strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to and treat potential bioterrorism attacks, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced Wednesday.

The $1.5 billion emergency request is in addition to HHS’ regular fiscal year 2002 budget request of $345 million for bioterrorism preparedne ss and would allow HHS to greatly accelerate its efforts to deal with any potential bioterrorism incident. The total request of $1.9 billion represents more than a six-fold increase above the $297 million Congress appropriated in fiscal year 2001 for HHS’ bioterrorism preparedness efforts.

"President Bush wants to make sure America's ability to deal with bioterrorism is as strong as possible and he’s aggressively pursuing the tools needed," Secretary Thompson said. "We’re currently responding quickly and effectively to the biological events in our country, but this comprehensive package will substantially strengthen our capabilities. In particular, the package helps build the response capabilities of state and local government as well as bolster our pharmaceutical stockpile."

The $1.5 billion emergency budget request will support efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other HHS agencies, as well as state and local efforts. Key elements include:

In addition to the $1.5 billion emergency bioterrorism proposal, the administration has proposed an additional $84 million for other recovery and non-bioterrorism efforts. This includes $20 million to replenish public health resources in New York; $39 million to improve security at HHS laboratories (in addition to $4.75 million announced Sept. 21 as a result of Congress’ earlier emergency appropriation); $15 million for emergency-response equipment; and another $10 million for social services activities (in addition to the $25 million released in the first round of emergency funding).

"In recent weeks, we demonstrated that we can respond quickly and effectively to contain a potential bioterrorism incident, but we also know that we must quickly build on our progress in order to better protect Americans in the future," Secretary Thompson said. "This emergency request would accelerate our efforts to expand response capabilities nationally and locally, and bolster our stockpiles of pharmaceuticals and other supplies that may be needed following a major attack."

In a bioterrorism event, HHS has special responsibilities, including detecting the disease, investigating the outbreak, and providing stockpiled drugs and emergency supplies in the large amounts needed. In July, Secretary Thompson named Scott Lillibridge, a physician who had coordinated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s bioterrorism response efforts, as special advisor to lead the department's coordinated bioterrorism initiative.

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Note: Additional background is available at www.hhs.gov. Click on "Biological Incidents."


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