Infectious Diseases Experts Applaud New Omnibus Funding Bill

ARLINGTON, Virginia, March 27 -- The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America issued the following news release:

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) applauds President Trump and Congress for authorizing new funds for public health and infectious diseases programs through the FY2018 omnibus bill. The passage of this legislation helps safeguard critical public health programs and ongoing research initiatives.

"We are encouraged by the support for prevention and control of infectious diseases," said Keith Kaye, MD, MPH, president of SHEA. "This vital funding supports nationwide efforts to coordinate and manage detection of and response to infectious diseases outbreaks and will allow these programs to remain strong and continue to ensure public safety."

The $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill increases funding for several important initiatives within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including increased funding for the Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative and the Emerging Infectious Diseases program as well as a $480 million commitment for the construction of a new biosafety level 4 laboratory to support bio defense research. Importantly, the bill sustains funding levels for other CDC efforts, such as grants for state healthcare-associated infection prevention programs, the National Healthcare Safety Network, and the Advanced Molecular Detection program.

Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the NIH will see funding increases as a result of this legislation. One of the biggest surprises in the spending bill was the $10 million increase in funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which has faced threats of significant funding cuts for the last several years.

"This Bill is a step in the right direction. It provides new funding for initiatives that are very important to our nation's health and safety. Because Congress has provided resources for infectious diseases research, the work in these areas can progress and continue to provide much needed insight into the prevention of and response to infectious diseases threats," said Kaye.