Our department receives funding from the CDC for the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant to fund several of our prevention efforts in Arizona, such as the program to reduce the number of prescription drug overdoses and deaths in the state.
The block grant has provided strong support to states since the 1980s. In addition to the prescription drug initiative, we use the funding for skin cancer prevention through the SunWise program, to fund and provide assistance to county health departments to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of services in their respective jurisdictions, sexual assault prevention programs, and to provide meaningful and timely Arizona health status reports using health data that is collected by our department.
The way Arizona invests the funds changes over time based on the public health needs in our state. Every year ADHS, along with the Block Grant Advisory Committee and county health directors, reviews data and priorities as the grant work plan is developed. We have a meeting set up where we describe the plans for investing the funding for the next year. You are invited to attend and express your ideas for future funding.
The meeting is Thursday, May 19, at 12:30 p.m. at the ADHS offices located at 150 N. 18th Avenue in Phoenix. This meeting will be valuable to everyone who has an interest in how ADHS uses these dollars to further Arizona’s public health.
