Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant

	See Also: • PHHS Block Grant At A Glance 2004 • PHHS Block Grant Web Site

The Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant (PHHSBG) is the primary source of funding that provides states the latitude to fund any of the 265 national health objectives in Healthy People 2010. The PHHSBG is used to support clinical services, preventive screening, laboratory research, outbreak control, workforce training, public education, data surveillance, and program evaluation. The funds are used to target such health issues as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, emergency medical services, injury and violence, infectious disease, environmental health, community fluoridation, and sex offenses. Because of the allowed flexibility in the use of the funds, no two states allocate their block grant resources in the same way, and no two states provide similar amounts of funding to the same program or activities. A strong emphasis is placed on programs for adolescents, communities with little or poor health care services, and disadvantaged populations. The states depend on the block grant to support public health funding where no other adequate resources are available. 

PHHSBG dollars are used to support existing programs, implement new programs, and respond to unexpected emergencies. In FY 2000, the PHHSBG contributed to the following activities: 

• Blood lead testing for uninsured children.
• Skin cancer prevention kits for child care centers.
• Laboratory analysis and rapid testing for E. coli and West Nile virus.
• A physical activity program for 150 inner-city children.
• Installation of 4,500 smoke alarms in high-risk residences.
• Activation of a new law for child restraint protection.
• Activation of a new law for bicycle safety helmets.
• Development and analysis of health needs assessments for numerous local and county health departments.
• Training of emergency medical service providers.
• Development of cancer and trauma registries in state health departments.
• Law enforcement activities to prevent tobacco sales to minors. 
• Screenings for diabetes, cholesterol, and hypertension for underserved and uninsured populations.
• Fluoridation of local community water systems.
• Nurse outreach programs for rural counties. 

In FY 2001, Congress appropriated $180 million for CDC to fund 61 CDC grantees (50 states, 8 territories, the District of Columbia, and 2 Native American tribes).

 
CDC Goal

To improve quality of life by reducing illness and premature deaths. 

Examples of State Activities 

California: The rate for melanoma—the most lethal form of skin cancer—more than doubled in California from 1988 to 1997. Skin cancer is largely preventable when sun protection measures are consistently used. Research suggests that children who learn healthy behaviors often keep those behaviors throughout their lives. Parents, health care providers, schools, and community organizations can play a major role in reinforcing sun protection behaviors. The California Skin Cancer Prevention Program used Block Grant funds to revise and distribute sun safety education packages to 1,500 child care centers and preschools. Designed for children aged 3–5 years, the packages include a curriculum, video, poster, and sun protection guidelines for outdoor activities. Evaluation forms returned from sites that used these packages consistently rate the materials as “good” or “excellent.” Programs such as this one can play a critical role in educating children, their parents, and other caretakers to begin preventing sun exposure as early as possible. Teaching children about sun safety, combined with policy changes at daycare centers, will help children form healthy habits that will decrease their chance of acquiring skin cancer later in life. 

Connecticut: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people aged 1–44 years in Connecticut. Thirty-two percent of all deaths among children aged 1–14 and 41% of all deaths among people aged 15–24 are caused by unintentional injuries. Car crashes are the leading cause of injury-related hospital visits in Connecticut. Six local health departments in Connecticut used PHHSBG funding for programs designed to decrease injury and death from car crashes. Activities included

• Car safety-seat clinics to assess seat buckling and misuse of child restraints and to train parents and caregivers how to install seats correctly.
• Education and public awareness to increase the use of safety belts.
• Pedestrian safety skills programs for children, parents, and drivers. 

Evaluations found that 88% of those who participated in the child safety-seat clinic reported or were observed using safety seats correctly and that 70% of participants who had completed the pedestrian program were able to recognize pedestrian safety measures. 

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This page last reviewed August 10, 2004

United States Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion