President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget, released in February, fails to strengthen key U.S. public health and research initiatives in infectious diseases, according to IDSA’s analysis. In a statement earlier this month, the Society urged Congress to build on the president’s proposal and bolster funding for domestic and global ID research and public health activities through the nation’s leading federal health agencies.

• Especially hard-hit would be the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which would see its budget cut by $135 million. Of particular concern to IDSA are:a cut of more than 50 percent to the Antimicrobial Resistance program budget, which would force CDC to trim in half its support for state and local surveillance, prevention, and control efforts and end its Get Smart in the Community program
• reductions in CDC’s Infectious Diseases program budget, which would be cut by almost $100 million, a 5 percent decline
• a 21 percent reduction in grants for the Section 317 immunization program compared to the current fiscal year, in light of the end of additional funding provided through the stimulus bill

Funding for ID research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would grow by only $150 million, an increase that would not keep pace with biomedical inflation, resulting in fewer research grants and new research projects. Similarly, the $476 million proposed for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) falls well short of the $1.7 billion BARDA needs to meet its national security and emerging infection goals.

Additionally, the budget includes a proposed cut of almost $300 million in pandemic influenza preparedness and response funding at the Department of Health and Human Services, although supplemental funding passed by Congress last year will continue to allow for purchases of influenza vaccines and for additional antivirals to restock the Strategic National Stockpile.

For additional information about the president’s funding proposals for global HIV and tuberculosis and domestic HIV/AIDS funding, please see press releases issued earlier this month by the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Center for Global Health Policy.

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