PHOENIX — Arizona is set to lose $190 million in federal public health grants following a broad reduction in government spending, state officials confirmed.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was informed Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the grants had been canceled just a day earlier. The CDC, operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had previously allocated these funds for long-term public health projects in Arizona.
Key Public Health Programs Affected
The cuts impact roughly 270 contracts with local organizations across the state, many of which focused on infectious disease detection, response, prevention, and control. Among the grants terminated were:
COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant
Three sub-grants within the Immunizations and Vaccines for Children Program
Four sub-grants under the Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity Grant
One immediate consequence is the suspension of a project aimed at enhancing the state’s MEDSIS disease surveillance system, which tracks and monitors infectious diseases.
Public Health Experts Call Cuts a Major Setback
Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association (APHA) and a former ADHS director, described the funding loss as a “big blow” to Arizona’s public health system.
“With vital programs cut and surveillance tools stalled, the state will be ill-equipped to face future health crises,” Humble wrote in a blog post. “These changes are not just a setback — they are a direct threat to public health and well-being in Arizona.”
Federal Government Withdraws COVID-19-Related Funding
Nationwide, federal health officials have announced an $11.4 billion rollback in COVID-19-related funding for state and local public health agencies.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” the agency said in a statement.
Additionally, the Trump administration has ordered the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to reduce payments to universities and research institutions. In response, Arizona has joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the funding cuts.
