Austin Public Health announced a new map on July 24 that shows the potential impacts of federal funding cuts on community programs.
Nearly half of the department’s budget relies on external funding, according to the news release. As of July 28, Austin Public Health has lost over $10 million in federal grants since January, which represents 8% of its current budget.
The StoryMap, titled “Your Health, Our Work: What Happens When the Work is Undone,” explains how this loss in funding endangers programs. Two COVID-19 grants for immunization and disease surveillance programs have already been cut. Other programs, such as mobile vaccinations, sexual health services, refugee clinics and future outbreak response are at risk, according to the news release.
“Those are services that are designed to prevent and protect the health of the community from the spread of communicable disease,” said Adrienne Sturrup, Austin Public Health director. “Our doctors and our nurses — they take care of us as individuals. Public health takes care of us as a whole.”
Alyssa Armstrong, an Austin Public Health spokesperson, wrote in an email that sexually transmitted disease and HIV clinics are facing potential federal funding cuts, which would reduce staffing and limit access to affordable testing. These cuts would present potential dangers to residents of the greater Austin community, including UT.
“College students are often part of the most at-risk age group for sexually transmitted infections,” Armstrong wrote. “Without accessible, affordable testing and prevention services like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and confidential treatment, infections can spread undetected, leading to long-term health consequences.”
The Mobile Vaccination Program, which ensures vaccine access to the Austin community and is especially important to students who live in shared housing or attend large events, has already had its staff reduced by half, according to the news release.
“Reduced staffing and fewer clinic opportunities mean more missed vaccinations and greater vulnerability to outbreaks that can spread rapidly in high-density environments like college campuses,” Armstrong wrote. “When prevention services are impacted, everyone is affected.”
Sturrup said she hopes the map helps Austinites understand how much local public health services protect the community. She felt proud that it allowed the department to engage with the public by telling a story, she said.
“Sometimes in public health we get so caught up in the data and the statistics,” Sturrup said. “This (map) really gives the opportunity to humanize public health. To remind people that, ‘Yes, we’re focused on the dollars,’ but again, it’s about (the) people.”