Washington, DC – Over the weekend, Congress completed final negotiations on federal funding for the current fiscal year and included a $5 million cut to federal sexually transmitted disease (STD) funding.

“At a time of a 20-year high in STDs in the United States, this funding cut is devastating,” says David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD). “Federal STD funding has not been increased since 2003.  Due to inflation and small cuts, this translates into a 38% reduction in purchasing power in 14 years,” Harvey adds.

“Funding cuts mean that efforts to fight against babies being born with Congenital Syphilis, increasing levels of drug-resistant gonorrhea, and skyrocketing rates of syphilis across the country — especially among gay men — will be hurt,” says Stephanie S. Arnold Pang, director of policy and communications at NCSD. “This comes on the heels of the release of information that showed that syphilis has risen in 48 states—with 11 states seeing dramatic increases of over 200 percent in just four years.”

NCSD will work with our members, grassroots advocates, Congressional allies, and the Trump Administration to increase funding for STDs in the 2018 budget process.  For more information, go to www.ncsddc.org.

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The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) advocates for state, local, and territorial health department STD directors, their staff, and community-based partners.  For more information, or to connect with an NCSD member, visit NCSDDC.org or call 202-842-4660.