AIBS joined the American Society for Microbiology and other scientific organizations in urging House and Senate appropriators to provide robust funding for the Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) program and the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The letter in support of the CDC AMD program, signed by 24 organizations, calls for $175 million in fiscal year (FY) 2027 to support this critical public health and biosecurity infrastructure. It reads, in part:
“Established by Congress in FY 2014, the CDC’s AMD program enables the agency to integrate next-generation genomic sequencing and advanced data analytics into public health practice. Prior to the program’s inception, the U.S. experienced a widening technological gap, and the public health system was falling behind in pathogen genomics. Today, the AMD serves as a cornerstone of modern biosurveillance, providing modern genomic sequencing and data analysis tools that allow state and local health departments to rapidly detect, characterize, and track infectious diseases. Genomic data are also central in the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, demonstrating that the benefits of AMD extend beyond the immediate public health impact and into the healthcare industry.”
The letter in support of CDC’s NWSS, signed by 20 organizations, requests at least $120 million for the program in FY 2027.
“Wastewater Surveillance is a powerful and cost-effective public health tool that provides early warning of infectious disease outbreaks – without requiring individuals to be symptomatic or tested for infection,” the letter reads. “Currently, NWSS supports wastewater surveillance data collection and reporting in all 50 states, seven territories, and several Tribal communities. Continued investment is vital to sustain and strengthen this program and ensure it can effectively inform U.S. biosurveillance, and health security efforts.”
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