Policy Statement, Press Release
NCSD Commends STI Prevention Increases in Final Federal Funding Bill
Increase represents a major step toward combatting the nation’s STI epidemic
NCSD Commends STI Prevention Increases in Final Federal Funding Bill
Increase represents a major step toward combatting the nation’s STI epidemic
For Immediate Release: December 20, 2022
Contact: Elizabeth Finley, [email protected], 919-749-7309
Washington, D.C. – The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) commends Congress for including a small increase for STI prevention programs in its 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill passed early Wednesday morning. The additional appropriation of $10 million is the largest increase the program has seen in recent years, and will provide long-needed administrative flexibility to state and local programs.
“This increase is an important jumpstart to combatting the raging epidemic of sexually transmitted infections,” said NCSD Executive Director David C. Harvey. “In recent years, both the monkeypox (mpox) and COVID-19 pandemics have proven the essential nature of STI services to our nation’s health and safety, and we consider this an important down payment on a broader effort to end the STI epidemic once and for all.”
While the increase is significant – representing a 6% increase over last year – dramatic increases in the nation’s STI rates, including increases in gonorrhea and chlamydia, a 28% rise in syphilis and a 25% rise in congenital syphilis between 2020 and 2021, have outpaced spending.
The spending bill includes:
- A $10 M increase for funding to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Division of STD Prevention
- A $2 M increase to expand activities of CDC’s Division of Adolescent Sexual Health
- A $25 M increase for the CDC’s Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative
- No funding increases for the Title X Family Planning Program or the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, despite the stress caused by the Dobbs decision
“NCSD has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the essential role our members play in their communities, and this increase is a testament to the advocacy we have done to uplift the field,” emphasized Harvey. “Stopping the rise of STIs is an achievable goal, and we are happy to see that Congress and the Biden administration have taken the first step toward getting the job done.”
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