U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) and Jason Crow (CO-06) are leading a group of Colorado Representatives in urging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue funding the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center (RMPRC), which has conducted instrumental public health research in the region for nearly 20 years.
A digitally-colorized transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image of the West Nile virus (WNV), which is on the rise in mid-latitude states. Courtesy CDC
The facility relies on CDC funding to execute its work, yet the CDC recently decided to not fund the RMPRC for the next five-year funding cycle. The state has seen an increase in incidents of several diseases never before seen at this latitude, which some environmentalists now suspect are increasing due to climate change.
In a letter to CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, the members expressed concern over the sudden and unexplained halt in funding, and requested an explanation for the decision, which could impact the public health and well-being of Coloradans across the state.
“We believe that maintaining funding for the RMPRC is essential to ensuring all Coloradans and residents of the Rocky Mountain Region achieve health equity by optimizing social-emotional, mental, and physical health,” wrote the members. “We ask the CDC to provide us with more information on why the decision not to fund RMPRC was made despite their receiving a fundable score. We believe that the merits and successes of the RMPRC are self-evident based on 20 years of successful programming, research, and community engagement.”
The RMPRC was first funded by the CDC in 1998. Since then, the CDC has funded it every five years for nearly 20 years to serve the Rocky Mountain region. The RMPRC is dedicated to identifying public health problems and focusing on the development, testing, and evaluation of public health interventions that can be applied widely, with a particular emphasis on underserved communities.
Signers of the letter include Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Jason Crow (CO-06), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), and Joe Neguse (CO-02).
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