WASHINGTON, DC—The FY 2011 proposed budget for CDC recommends $6.3 billion in discretionary budget authority for the agency, a decrease of $133 million from the FY 2010 enacted level.

The administration stated in its budget that the decrease in the request reflects the availability of unobligated balances from the FY 2009 pandemic influenza supplemental.

The FY 2011 budget request includes an increase of $79.4 million above the FY 2010 Omnibus for the World Trade Center (WTC) Program. According to the administration, with this increase, CDC will continue to provide monitoring and treatment services for mental and physical health conditions related to 9/11 exposures for both responders and eligible non-responders.

Also getting a boost in the budget request is funding for HIV/AIDS and STDs. The budget request includes an increase of $37.9 million to implement approaches outlined in the National AIDS Strategy and to prevent new HIV, STD, and viral hepatitis infections. In addition, funding is targeted to improve the health status of those with HIV, and reduce disparities in HIV burden in the United States.

The budget request includes $20 million for a new initiative called the Big Cities Initiative. With the requested funding, CDC plans to fund up to 10 of the largest US cities to implement programs to address three public health priorities: tobacco prevention and control; obesity prevention and control (through improved nutrition and physical activity); and chronic disease detection and management. The goal of the program is to reduce rates of morbidity, disability, and premature mortality due to chronic diseases in these population centers. Funded cities will be provided with a variety of evidence-based actions and strategies to help them reduce these risk factors that lead to chronic disease.

The president also requested $10 million for a new Health Prevention Corps, which will recruit, train, and assign a cadre of public health professionals in state and local health departments. The program will target disciplines with known shortages such as epidemiology, environmental health, and laboratory science.

While some programs got a boost, other programs saw a proposed decrease in the budget. The FY 2011 Budget includes $58 million … a decrease of $19 million for zoonotic, vector-borne, and enteric diseases, and the elimination of dedicated funding for West Nile Virus activities.

The American Heart Association was not pleased with a proposed funding cut for CDC’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program. The administration was proposing $55 million for CDC’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program for FY 2011 … $1.2 million below the enacted FY 2010 Omnibus funding level. “We hope this decision can be revisited soon,” said American Heart Association President Clyde Yancy in a statement. “This program is a vital component of state preventative health strategies with particular objectives to focus on underserved populations, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, educate individuals about heart disease and stroke signs and symptoms, improve emergency response and quality of care and end treatment disparities.”

For terrorism preparedness and emergency response the budget proposes $1.5 billion, a net decrease of $16 million. The administration explained that this proposed decrease is a result of improved efficiencies in travel and contracting for CDC’s terrorism preparedness and emergency response activities.

Proposed decreases in travel and the use of advisory and assistance contracts are also included in the budget. According to the administration these proposed cuts will achieve a total of $100 million in administrative savings. The administration explained in its budget that it will increase the use of existing mass communication technologies such as conference calls, teleconferencing, and webinars as alternatives to unnecessary in-person attendance at meetings and trainings.

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