Urges Sustainable and Robust Funding to Prepare for Existing and Future Threats
WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Alliance for Biosecurity calls on Congress to support increased funding for federal programs that promote the rapid development, production, stockpiling, and distribution of critically needed medical countermeasures (MCMs) in annual funding legislation and through reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).
The Alliance is a coalition of biopharmaceutical companies and laboratory/academic partners that promotes a strong public-private partnership to ensure MCMs are available to protect public health and enhance national health security. The Alliance advocates for public policies and funding to support the rapid development, production, stockpiling, and distribution of critically needed MCMs.
Through meetings with House and Senate appropriations and authorizing committees, the Alliance emphasizes the need for robust and sustainable funding for critical biosecurity programs. Specifically, the Alliance prioritizes:
- Sustained and sufficient funding of critical biodefense programs, including the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund (SRF), and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness;
- Creating a Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) Advisory Committee; and
- Ensuring that PHEMCE’s strategic planning and decision-making around stockpile needs and requirements is more transparent, current and based on upto-date risk assessments.
