Transcript Slide 1

Germs Go Global
Why Emerging Infectious Diseases
Are a Threat to America
Jeff Levi, PhD
Executive Director
Congressional Briefing
April 17, 2009
Chief Findings
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Risk of new or re-emerging diseases threatens our
economy, security, and healthcare system.
Factors contributing to increased threat:
globalization, increased drug resistance, climate and
weather changes.
Major vulnerabilities exist in current U.S.
capabilities to deal with infectious diseases.
Need coordinated federal effort to fight these
diseases.
What are EIDs?
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New infectious diseases – SARS, HIV/AIDS,
HCV
Re-emerging or resurging diseases – malaria,
measles
Drug resistant diseases – MRSA, XDRTB
Bioterrorism – deliberate use of
new/emerging diseases
Neglected tropical diseases
Threats to the U.S.
“Newly emerging and re-emerging infectious
diseases will pose a rising global health threat and
will complicate U.S. and global security over the
next 20 years. These diseases will endanger U.S.
citizens at home and abroad, threaten U.S. armed
forces deployed overseas, and exacerbate social and
political instability in key countries and regions
where the U.S. has significant interests.”
National Intelligence Estimate 99-17D
Threats in U.S.
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High prevalence rates means high costs, such
as HIV/AIDS, MRSA, HCV.
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Infections making a comeback:
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Resistant staph (MRSA) costs an extra $3,000 to
$35,000 per case to treat.
HCV costs $15 billion a year – rising to $85
billion without better treatments/prevention.
TB, vaccine preventable illnesses are re-emerging
Foodborne illness on the rise
Factors Contributing to Emergence
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Environmental factors
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Climate change causes movement of insects
within U.S. (affects malaria, West Nile, yellow
fever, dengue fever, etc.).
Flu becomes epidemic in cool weather.
El Niño may have helped spread of malaria,
cholera.
Deforestation coincided with malaria increase.
Factors Contributing to Emergence (2)
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Globalization
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Rapid spread of outbreaks.
Antimicrobial resistance
Social Inequities, Geopolitical Events
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Poverty (sanitation, overcrowding, water, access
to care)
War
food and water shortages
High risk behaviors
Major Vulnerabilities
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Surveillance
Diagnostics
Treatment
Vaccines
New Technology
Financial Incentives are Critical
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Market forces prevent investment in high-risk
products, so incentives are needed.
Public-Private Partnerships
Existing U.S. Government Programs
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Orphan Drug Act
Project BioShield and BARDA
Priority Review Voucher for Neglected Tropical
Diseases
Federal Recommendations
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Develop government-wide, multiyear research
agenda
Federal, state and local resources to build
public health capacity
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Enhance surveillance
Build standards, rapid communication into health
IT
Build lab capacity
Federal Recommendations (2)
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U.S. leadership in implementing global surveillance
system.
U.S. leadership in preventing, responding to threats.
Coordinated effort to decrease inappropriate use of
antimicrobials
Recruit and retain public health workforce trained in
emerging infectious diseases.
Public health education to prevent spread – including
childhood and adult vaccines and antibiotic use.
Congressional Actions
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Pass STAAR Act to fight antimicrobial
resistance.
Fully fund BARDA (received $275M in
FY09)
Amend Orphan Drug Act to address MRSA
and development of new countermeasures.
Request professional judgment budget for
research agenda
Congressional Actions (2)
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Enhance appropriations for EID programs at
CDC, NIH, DOD, Agriculture, and DHS.
Grow funds for global surveillance efforts,
including increasing CDC’s Global Disease
Detection program to $56M in FY10
(received $33M in Omnibus)
Fully fund CDC’s state and local Public
Health Emergency Preparedness grants to
$1B (received $746M in Omnibus)
Questions?
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Please contact:
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Jeff Levi, Executive Director
[email protected]
Rich Hamburg, Director of Government
Relations
[email protected]