Report: Government budget cuts hurting preparedness

Key programs that detect and respond to bioterrorism, new disease outbreaks and natural or accidental disasters are at risk due to federal and state budget cuts, according to a 90-page report titled "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism" by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Preparedness had been on an upward trajectory, but now some of the most elementary capabilities — including the ability to identify and contain outbreaks, provide vaccines and medications during emergencies, and treat people during mass traumas — are experiencing cuts in every state across the country," says Jeff Levi, TFAH's executive director.

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