HHS Awards $1 Billion to Fight Opioid Crisis
Recognizing the continuing impact of the national opioid epidemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has dedicated $1 billion in funding (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/09/19/hhs-awards-over-1-billion-combat-opioid-crisis.html) through a new awards program called the Five-Point Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis (https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/hhs-response/index.html). The program will empower communities to implement strategies to curb opioid abuse and addiction.
"Addressing the opioid crisis with all the resources possible and the best science we have is a top priority for President Trump and for everyone at HHS," Alex Azar, HHS secretary, said. "The more than $1 billion in additional funding that we provided this week will build on progress we have seen in tackling this epidemic through empowering communities and families on the frontlines."
A priority for the Trump administration, opioid intervention continues to be a major public health issue that representatives on both sides of the aisle are committed to addressing.
Elements of the large grant are broken into blocks and include:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—$930 million in State Opioid Response grants (https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/ti-18-015)
- Health Resources and Services Administration— more than $396 million in investments to enable community health centers (https://www.hrsa.gov/opioids), academic institutions, and rural organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention— $155.5 (https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/readiness/funding-crisis.htm) million to increase support for states and territories working to prevent opioid-related overdoses (https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/index.html), deaths, and other outcomes