CDC provides New Funds to battle Opioid Overdose Epidemic

To address the opioid overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is increasing support to states, territories, tribes, and non-governmental organizations working to prevent opioid-related overdoses, deaths, and other outcomes. CDC has awarded $155 million in new funding to states and four U.S. territories to advance the understanding of the opioid overdose epidemic and to scale-up prevention and response activities, including improving the timeliness and quality of surveillance data. CDC is also distributing an additional $27 million to nine non-governmental organizations. Funded entities will support states and territories with staffing, procurement, and training to enhance local public health capacity. CDC has also allotted $12 million in funds to support 11 Tribal Epidemiology Centers and 15 tribal entities. The rate of drug overdose deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives is above the national average and recent data show this trend continuing. These supplemental funds are intended to improve opioid overdose surveillance so that prevention strategies can be targeted to better address this threat to tribal communities. This expanded funding is part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ five-point strategy to fight the opioid overdose epidemic. To learn more about opioid overdose, visit https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/index.html.