Protect Public Health Services in Oregon

ACTION ALERT!

Protect Public Health Services in Oregon

Send a message to your elected officials right now!

Name:

E-mail Address:

Street Address:

City:

My Legislators:

---

Message:

Edit this generated message or draft your own.

Dear Legislators,

I write to express my strong support for funding Public Health Modernization with an additional $25 million for the 2025-27 biennium. This is especially important now as the threat of federal cuts looms and rates of communicable disease rise.

Ten years after the Oregon legislature prioritized public health modernization, lawmakers have committed only about one-third of the money needed to fully fund these foundational programs.

This lack of funding means that public health workers don’t have the money needed to adequately manage impending threats like bird flu and low immunization rates and they don’t have the resources to prevent diseases like syphilis, hepatitis C and tuberculosis.

All three of those diseases can become chronic and, if left untreated, can cause serious illness and death. If caught early the infections can be cured and prevented from spreading. Hepatitis C is a stark example. Oregon has the third highest death rate in the country, with this infection killing 400 to 500 Oregonians each year. Hepatitis C can be cured with antiviral medication, but public health has no money to test and link people to that cure.

This budget request would provide $25 million additional per biennium to help public health departments and tribes hire more staff to prevent, track and treat communicable diseases. It would also increase outreach to BIPOC and houseless communities who are at higher risk for these diseases.

I urge you to support this funding to protect Oregonians and keep the promise to fund Public Health Modernization.

I appreciate your time and consideration.

Remember my info for next time! (Allow cookies)

...

Keep in mind that whatever you send may become a public record (except that your email address is protected per ORS 192.355, subsection 40). You do not have to use your full name. If you would like a response from your officials, an accurate e-mail address is necessary.

Public Health Modernization

Budget Request: $25 Million

OHA POP 410

Ten years after Oregon prioritized public health modernization, lawmakers have committed only about one-third of the money needed to fully fund foundational public health programs. Other states have made significantly larger investments in public health programs. In neighboring Washington, lawmakers have allocated three-quarters of their promised funding. Meanwhile, in Republican-led Indiana, public health funding is double what Oregon lawmakers have committed. This lack of funding means that public health workers don’t have the money needed to prevent communicable diseases like syphilis, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis.

This budget request would provide an additional $25 million per biennium to help public health departments and tribes hire more staff to prevent, track and treat communicable diseases. It would also increase outreach to BIPOC and houseless communities who are at higher risk for disease.

More Information:

🔗

Story - TB Treatment and Prevention

📄

Fact Sheet - Public Health Modernization

🔗

2025 Public Health Legislative Priorities

Debugging Panel

Subject:

---

Sun Mar 16 2025

---

Priority 1