The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the recipients of its Overdose Data to Action grants, including those in 17 local jurisdictions.
Washington, DC, September 4, 2019 — Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the recipients of its Overdose Data to Action grants, including those in 17 local jurisdictions. This is the first time local health departments have been eligible for funding directly from CDC for opioid misuse prevention. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the voice of the country’s local health departments, advocated strongly for this first-ever direct funding in order to ensure that federal dollars make it to local communities struggling with opioid misuse (see NACCHO’s letters to Congress and the Administration).
“We are extremely pleased that Congress and the Administration recognize the importance of all levels of public health—including local, state, and federal partners—to addressing this epidemic and for investing in the front lines of this response,” said NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman. “NACCHO’s own research has highlighted the realities on the ground: that local health departments are leading the response to the opioid misuse epidemic and provide lifesaving programs and services in their communities. This funding is urgently needed and will go a long way in the localities selected. However, we know that communities across the country are facing these issues, no matter how large your region. We stand ready to work with our local health department members, Congress, and the Administration to ensure that funds are available to all communities that are fighting to stop the human toll of opioid use disorder.”
The grants are a three-year funding opportunity that focuses on the need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and cohesive public health approach to the opioid misuse epidemic. The local jurisdictions funded by CDC include the following:
- Allegheny County, PA
- Baltimore County, MD
- Broward County, FL
- Chicago, IL
- Clark County, NV
- Cuyahoga County, OH
- District of Columbia
- Duval County, FL
- Franklin County, OH
- Hamilton County, OH
- Harris County, TX
- Maricopa County, AZ
- New York City, NY
- Palm Beach County, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Riverside County, CA
- San Diego County, CA
Local health department funding awards ranged from a minimum of $2 million to a maximum of nearly $6 million. Importantly, state health departments are also required to allocate at least 20% of their prevention component award to fund targeted mini-grants and sub-awards to counties, cities, and communities to address opioid overdose in high burden areas, particularly those identified by the surveillance component of this award. This represents an important opportunity to leverage the full public health system, including federal, state, and local governmental public health, to work together towards solutions that address this epidemic.
NACCHO recently released an Opioid Crisis Environmental Scan regarding local health departments’ work on opioid-related activities, highlighting the important programs and services local health departments provide to address this important issue. Among respondents, over 80% said their local health department was directly providing outreach and education to the community. About one-fifth of local health departments reported starting a syringe service program (SSP) in their community to reduce the burden of infectious disease associated with drug use, and others noted being involved in policy to best address opioid misuse. NACCHO’s 2018 Forces of Change report found that less than 40% of local health departments received dedicated general funds for opioid-related activities despite the toll it is taking across the country, illustrating the need for consistent federal support to address the opioid misuse epidemic.
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
