Press Release
February 25, 2002
Contact: CDC, Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
CDC Awards Funds to Improve Monitoring of Birth Defects
A total of $3.2 million is being awarded to 20 public health agencies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve birth defects surveillance. Each site will receive between $100,000 and $190,000.
The funding will enable public health programs to develop, implement, and/or expand community-based birth defects tracking systems and programs that work to prevent birth defects, and support activities to improve access to health services for children with birth defects.
“Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, accounting for more than 20 percent of all infant deaths,” said José Cordero, MD, MPH, Director of the CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). “Understanding the prevalence and changes in trends of birth defects will lead to a better understanding of possible changes, and will monitor the effectiveness of our prevention activities.”
NCBDDD strives to improve the health of children and adults by preventing the occurrence of birth defects and developmental disabilities, promoting optimal child development, and promoting the health and wellness among children and adults who have a disability. The center’s many responsibilities include conducting research to determine the causes and prevention of birth defects and developmental disabilities, maintaining and expanding support for state-based monitoring, and providing information and education directly to health care providers and public health professionals. NCBDDD also works closely with international organizations and entities developing strategies and programs for reducing the number of birth defects and developmental disabilities.
The following states will receive funding:
| Alabama University of South Alabama $190,000 Alaska Department of Health and Social Services $190,000 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment $190,000 District of Columbia Department of Health $100,000 Hawaii Department of Health $150,000 Indiana Department of Health $100,000 Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services $179,488 Maine Department of Health $114,094 Michigan Department of Community Health $190,000 Minnesota Department of Health $100,000 |
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services $190,000 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services $150,000 North Carolina University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill $190,000 New Hampshire Trustees of Dartmouth College $190,000 New Mexico Department of Health $190,000 Oklahoma State Department of Health $107,516 South Carolina Greenwood Genetic Center $190,000 Utah Department of Health $190,000 Virginia Department of Health $150,000 West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources $150,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES