Health burden and funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between domestic funding for selected conditions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the burden of disease and disability in the United States was assessed systematically.


METHODS
Using mortality, years of potential life lost (YPLLs), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), hospital days, hospital discharges, and direct medical costs of conditions, 34 high-burden conditions addressed by CDC programs were identified, and information was collected about the funds spent on each by CDC during fiscal year (FY) 2003. The 34 conditions were grouped into 15 categorical areas, and the relationship between budget and burden was analyzed using correlation and regression methods for each of the categorical areas and for each measure of burden.


RESULTS
Of CDC's total FY 2003 budget of $6.9 billion, 62% ($4.3 billion) of funding was allocated to one of the 34 conditions studied. A positive relationship between budget and burden was identified for all measures of burden, although the correlations varied for the different conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Although examination of the relationship of CDC's budget to burden measures provides insight into the agency's portfolio of investments, this exercise also highlights a number of limitations with this approach and the currently available burden measures. Assessment of key public health functions such as emergency preparedness and the collection of vital statistics require development of metrics different from the burden measures used in this analysis. Investment in the development of such metrics warrants consideration.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. ccurry@cdc.gov
Cecilia W
CW
Curry
Anindya K
AK
De
Robin M
RM
Ikeda
Stephen B
SB
Thacker
D002017:Budgets / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology