Hawai‘i to Receive $3.7 Million in Federal Funding to Respond to Public Health Threats

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today welcomed $3.7 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the Hawai‘i State Department of Health’s epidemiological and laboratory capacity to respond to public health threats. This funding will specifically help the department’s work on infectious disease surveillance and investigation, including flu and foodborne diseases, as well as antimicrobial resistance monitoring and addressing viruses such as Hepatitis A.

“These funds help support the critical work being done by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health to research, monitor, and control diseases such as Zika and dengue,” said Senator Schatz. “This investment in public health helps to ensure that our state is prepared to address diseases before they spread.” 

“The Hawai‘i Department of Health is grateful for the support and recognition of CDC by this award. We will use the much-needed funding to build sustainable activities to continue to protect the health of our communities throughout the state,” said Dr. Virginia Pressler, director of health at the Hawai‘i Department of Health.

This grant is part of the CDC’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Cooperative Agreement awards, which serve to strengthen the capacity of states to respond to public health threats. 

In order to help combat the Zika virus, the Hawai‘i Department of Health has also received $400,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to oversee birth defects surveillance, intervention and follow up treatment.