Gulf Coast could be ground zero for Zika

May 6, 2016
by Liz Szabo
USA Today

Gulf Coast states fared especially poorly, according to a December reportfrom the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Alabama, Florida and Louisiana scored 4 out of 10; Mississippi and Texas scored 5.

Federal funding to help states and localities prepare for disasters — from infectious disease outbreaks to hurricanes — fell 30% in the past 14 years, declining from $940 million in fiscal year 2002 to $651 million in 2016, according to an April report from The Trust for America's Health. A federal program to help hospitals prepare for emergencies has been cut by more than half since the peak of its funding in fiscal year 2004, when it received $515 million. And the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decreased from a high of $7.07 billion in fiscal year 2005 to $6.34 billion in 2016.

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