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Tell Lawmakers:
Fund the CDC’s National Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½

NEHA requests that Congress fund the CDC’s National Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ (NCEH) at $249 million, of which $17 million comes from the Public Health Trust Fund. State, local, tribal and territorial environmental health agencies perform the services necessary for every community in this country. These agencies ensure our food is safe, our water is drinkable, the air is breathable and wastewater is eliminated. These agencies provide the fundamental services required for robust and sanitary communities that are attractive for businesses and residents.

The federal government funds, mainly through CDC’s NCEH, research and workforce development that supports these state and local environmental health agencies efforts to combat emerging and continuing environmental health threats. CDC NCEH performs vital research and funds the SLTT environmental health agencies, including:

• Emergency Preparedness through addressing health impacts caused by extreme weather events: Changes in the weather are affecting every aspect of our environment, including health. Extreme weather events, wildfire smoke, and flooding cause adverse health effects, from respiratory ailments to vectorborne disease.
• Enhancements into the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Workforce & Environmental Public Health Workforce Development: Environmental health is profoundly local. The majority of the activities to protect the public from environmental threats are undertaken by the local environmental health workforce. CDC’s NCEH invests in the environmental health workforce through workforce development, data modernization, recruitment and training.
• Food Safety and Foodborne Outbreaks: CDC’s NCEH invests in local environmental health departments by strengthening foodborne illness outbreak investigations skills and capacity, as well as promoting enteric disease surveillance and response activities.
• Assisting residences served by Private Drinking Water – Research conducted by NCEH
  identifies recent waterborne disease threats (such as PFAS), providing these agencies with the necessary information on how private water users can reduce threats from these diseases.
• Rural Public Health Training Curriculum: Rural America lacks the resources to recruit and train talent. CDC’s NCEH invests in training in rural public health competencies for the environmental health workforce. Congress needs to hear from their constituents that funding of CDC’s National Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is vital to ensuring state, local, tribal and territorial environmental health programs remain robust and able to respond to environmental health threats.

Use this form to tell Congress about the importance of CDC National Center for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ to your community in keeping the public healthy and businesses thriving.