The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $24 million to fund 55 projects in 29 state and local public health departments that could serve as innovative approaches for influenza pandemic preparedness.

“What is learned from these projects can benefit everyone because it could improve national, regional and local public health detection and response to a pandemic involving influenza,” said Richard Besser, MD, director of CDC′s Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response. CDC intends for the recipients to implement promising practices or to develop effective approaches and models that can be replicated nationally, Besser said.

A total of 184 funding applications were submitted by state and local health departments in a competitive application process. Eligible applicants for the awards were limited to the 62 state, local and territorial public health departments that currently receive federal funding through CDC′s Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement.

The 29 award recipients have one year to complete the projects, which begin on Sept. 30, 2008. The projects focus on seven key areas and include:

Use of public engagement as part of the public health decision-making process 

Electronic laboratory data exchange to support influenza pandemic monitoring 

Integration of state-based immunization information systems to track distribution of influenza pandemic countermeasures. 

Development of statewide electronic death reporting systems compliant with Public Health Information Network (PHIN) requirements 

Collaborative planning among healthcare providers to ensure the delivery of essential services during an influenza pandemic 

Development of interventions that promote preparedness for pandemic disease among identified vulnerable populations 

Distribution and dispensing of antiviral drugs to self-isolated or self-quarantined persons in an influenza pandemic event 

A list of the 29 award recipients and their projects can be accessed by clicking 

The $24 million for the new projects are part of $600 million in PHEP supplemental funding appropriated by Congress to accelerate state and local influenza pandemic planning efforts. The focus of the funding, which was distributed in three phases beginning in 2006, was on practical, community-based procedures that could prevent or delay the spread of an influenza pandemic.