WASHINGTON, USA – The Biden administration, on Friday, released the president’s FY 2022 budget for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget FY 2022; the largest budget authority increase for CDC in nearly two decades.
In a statement, the CDC said, this will enable the Agency to invest in the core infrastructure of our country’s public health system.
“This budget request begins to address the critical needs to improve the public health system for America,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “The nation, and the world, faced incredible challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Investing in long-term, sustainable programs and systems to address deficits in the public health system – equitably for all Americans – will put the nation on better footing to confront future threats.”
The FY 2022 budget request for CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) includes a total funding level of $9.6 billion in discretionary budget authority, Public Health Service (PHS) Evaluation funds, and the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF).
This is an increase of $1.7 billion above the FY 2021 Enacted. These amounts include $81.75 million for ATSDR—an increase of $3.75 million over FY 2021 Enacted. When accounting for all resources, including mandatory programs, the budget includes a total program levels of $15.4 billion for CDC.
Specifically, the budget request includes funding for:
- Improving readiness for future public health crises
- CDC will continue to build on initial investments and lessons learned from COVID-19 by investing in public health infrastructure, including public health data modernization, public health workforce, buildings and facilities, and global health protection.
- Funding is also requested for several other activities including modernization of quarantine, migration, and vessel sanitation programs, and enhancements of surveillance systems that monitor emerging threats to mothers and babies.
- Reducing racial disparities in public health
- CDC’s budget request includes increases to key programs, including maternal mortality, HIV, and childhood lead poisoning prevention, that work to improve health equity and reduce health disparities in racial and ethnic minority communities and other disproportionately affected communities around the country.
- CDC also will significantly expand efforts to address the social determinants of health, conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect their health.
- Building public health approaches to reduce violence
- CDC’s budget request includes increases in injury and violence prevention programs that will help to address the growing crisis of domestic, sexual, and gun violence.
- The request includes a new evidence-based community violence intervention initiative.
- Defeating diseases and epidemics
- This budget request includes major investments to help end the opioid epidemic, address the public health consequences of the climate crisis, enhance our immunization infrastructure, increase effectiveness of influenza immunization efforts, and sustain parasitic disease and malaria activities.
- Funding is also requested for the Infectious Disease Rapid Response Reserve Fund.
CDC/ATSDR’s full FY 2022 request can be found here.