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Texas officials informed local public health services to prepare for an additional $ 119 million of federal cuts at the end of the month which could have an impact on state detection and prevention efforts, including for HIV, diabetes, awareness of vaccine and emergency preparation.
The news comes three months after the federal government informed Texas officials that it was prematurely Recover $ 700 million In unat -spent cocovid pandemic financing, some of which have been used to combat the propagation of measles in western Texas.
With the state’s regular legislative biennial session ending less than two weeks ago, Texas Department of State Health Services lost the opportunity to ask the state more money. The legislators have left Austin to increase public funds to the agency by $ 86 million in the next two years, but it also plans to lose $ 685 million in federal funds largely at the end of the coastal funds.
Imelda Garcia, chief commissioner of the State Health Agency, made the disclosure of the latest potential reductions of the Agency Committee on Funding and Public Health Policy on Wednesday.
“We have staff checking the federal subsidy system system every day, several times a day. We have made telephone calls to our federal partners. However, we still have no additional information at the moment,” said Garcia.
Exposing at the end of June, the $ 119 million involves concessions from disease and prevention control centers that take place at local public health services. Among the most difficult blow, would be:
Other programs facing the cuts, let us quote those to treat diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, tobacco consumption, wastewater tests and certain school funding linked to public health.
Garcia stressed that, even if none of the $ 119 million has been officially reduced, Texas health officials have not yet received that funding would be renewed.
“I wanted to put them on your radar in case there are additional delays that we could see in the coming weeks,” she said.
May 30Garcia informed health services to suspend HIV prevention and test expenses because the federal government had not informed the State that it will renew the financing of these services.
Local public health services were also informed this week at the meeting that there could be more cuts by the end of the year. It comes when Texas ranks among the worst in the country to Public health financing.
“In a post-comfortable post-comfortable world, in a world where we have this measles epidemic and … you cut vaccinations, I mean, it simply makes no sense,” said Dr. Philip Huang, director of health and social services of Dallas and vice-president of the committee.
He said that the cuts went against the messages from the American secretary for health Robert F. Kennedy who underlined the federal agency should focus on reducing the impact of chronic diseases.
“You say that your priorities are chronic diseases and that you eliminate the entire office of smoking and health and the FDA tobacco tobacco,” said Huang. “It doesn’t make sense at all.”
When the federal government suddenly reduced $ 700 million that the state had until next year, state and local public health services dismissed employees. In May, the agency offered 63 employees transfers to other divisions and 32 employees were dismissed. Among these dismissed, 19 were scholarship holders whose mandate ended a week earlier. Huang noted that he had to fire more than 20 employees.
Amy Yeager, Director of Bell County Public Health District, noted that the next day that she should temporarily close the district health clinic to the temple, the City brought back its first case of measles involving an unvaccinated man.
Texas was at the center of a historic measles epidemic that infected 750 people on a state scale And even more through national and international borders. Two children have died and although the number of new cases has decreased in recent weeks, the state cannot consider that the epidemic before it is 42 days without a new infection.
Huang asked Garcia if the CDC could provide room for maneuver, perhaps, in the light of the fact that Texas has spent many resources to fight against the epidemic of measles.
“I think they are friendly, but so much happens,” said Garcia. “The CDC does not yet have a full -time director, so they just have trouble making decisions, that’s what we heard.”
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