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News Release

PRESIDENT'S 2004 BUDGET WILL PROPOSE FUNDING
FOR INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE SANITATION CONSTRUCTION
Largest Increase in More Than a Decade

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that the President's 2004 budget request will include $114 million for Indian Health Service (IHS) sanitation construction projects -- a $20 million increase over the fiscal year 2003 budget and the largest sanitation increase in more than a decade.

"In my travels to American Indian and Alaskan Native communities I've seen first hand the needs of these communities and as a result fought hard for this increase in funding. President Bush is dedicated to providing top-quality programs and services to approximately 1.6 million American Indian and Alaska Natives," Secretary Thompson said. "The Indian Health Service Sanitation and Facilities Construction Program is an integral part of the agency's disease prevention initiative. Safe sanitation is simply crucial in helping to achieve long-term improvements in health for American Indians and Alaska Natives."

Approximately 92 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native homes have been provided sanitation facilities since the inception of the IHS sanitation construction program, but roughly 8 percent of homes still lack a safe indoor water supply, compared to 1 percent of all U.S. homes. Specifically, the President's budget request supports provision of safe water and waste disposal to an estimated 22,000 homes, an increase of 2,600 more homes served than in 2003.

The proposed increase will support several sanitation initiatives, including:

• $110 million to provide sanitation facilities construction for new, like-new and existing homes with either no sanitation or sub-standard sanitation conditions;
• $500,000 to address water supply and waste disposal emergencies and special projects as needed; and
• $3.5 million to clean up and replace open dumps on Indian lands.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: January 21, 2003