A broad group of 412 public health and health care organizations, including the AHA, urged the president and Congress in a letter last week to increase discretionary funding for public health in the fiscal year 2007 budget by $1 billion plus an appropriate inflation factor, in addition to the administration's anticipated funding increase for pandemic flu preparedness. They said the increase is needed to restore more than $1 billion cut last year from public health programs, many of which continue to struggle in response to sharply increased demands in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and to accommodate new program initiatives.

"The health of all Americans is at risk from an unprecedented range of threats, including: chronic diseases and disabilities, infectious and food borne illnesses, biological and chemical terrorism, mental disorders and substance abuse, catastrophic injuries, and a shortage of health care providers and trained public health workers," the organizations said. Additional resources are needed to help the nation's public health system respond to these challenges, they said.