The CDC told states on Tuesday that it was reducing funding for workers who fight sexually transmitted infections by $400 million, according to an email obtained by CQ Roll Call. The spending cuts are caused by the recently passed debt ceiling deal.
States have to annually apply to re-up their funding awards for disease intervention specialists that were allocated as part of COVID-19 relief aid. The CDC had already sent states the applications for grants to fund local disease intervention specialists but then had to pull the funding.
The move comes just after the Biden administration on June 8 issued its new multi-agency plan to address rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, directing five departments and 15 agencies to implement more than 200 steps by 2030, and it comes as rates of the most common STIs have reached record highs for eight years.
